Hold Onto Me
by ksjf2012
Summary: Family BTR. Some drama, some laughter and some action. :)
1. Chapter 1

**SOOOOO, as current Nevada resident (i do not live in Vegas, i live in Reno) i can not express how sad and scared i feel for our world. No words are good enough to say how sorry i am for the lives lost and those still fighting to survive. However, i do know there is good in the world and hope one day we can fix our broken systems and our broken people.**

 **Now, i hope no one is upset at my timing of this story. The truth is i'v ebeen writing it for a while and jsut finished it. I don't mean to offend or upset anyone with the plot. Just a stroy that came to mind. If you like it, let me know. If you want to see me write something else, i'm always open to new ideas.**

My eyes were darting fast around the huge open space in front of me. My hands were sweating under my black gloves and I was getting very hot. But I continued on my path along the wall, two men in front of me, and one behind me. My rifle was raised at eye level as I ganced over the dead bodies on the mall floor. Somewhere, down in my stomach, I knew very soon I was going to come face to face with either the shooter or my own flesh and blood. It made me almsot loose focus. Almost.

The first guy in our line raised a closed fist and we all stopped, squatting down. There was absolutely no noise in the mall except for an alarm going off about 8 stores down the row. I heard in my ear peice someone talking quietly, but I ignored it. I adjusted the butt of my gun on my shoulder and swallowed hard squinting over a few bodies laying close to me. None of them looked familiar. That made it worse for me. It wasn't until I heard a soft, small cry I perked up and looked to my leader at the front of the line. He turned to me and pointed to me and the guy in the back. He tapped his shoulders twice and then pointed to the store we were stopped in front of. I stood up quick and hurried past the two still on the ground, gun still raised. I felt a hand on my back as I walked in the store strong shoulders, gun cocked and ready. I scanned over the tipped over manniquines, racks of clothes knocked over and clothes strewn everywhere. I sighed out quietly suddenly stopping my walking hearing the cry a litte louder. I took one more step, left foot in front of the other, and heard a scream. "Please! I don't want to die!" I hurried forward gun still raised and peered around the cashier counter. Nothing in the entire world could have prepared me for seeing my son, proped up against the counter, unconsiouce and bleeding heavily from the gut. I lowered my gun quick seeing the crying, red faced scared teenage girl clutching onto him. Before moving towards them I clicked the walkie on my shouder hearing a beep in my ear.

"Two victims. One bleeding and unresponsive. Send in EMT'S." I glanced over my shoulder to my partner who was no longer behind me. Instead he was doing a sweep of the store, calling for the other two in. When i turned back to the two on the ground, I swallowed hard, bending down. I put my gun on my shoulder and reached out putting my two fingers on his neck and closed my eyes feeling a slow and steady pulse. I opened my eyes quick hearing a small cry. The girl, my son's girlfriend was still clutching him and I did the only thing I could think to do. I took off my black helmet quickly and set it donw next to me along with my gun, after putting the safety on. She glanced up at my face and cried out again. I reached out quickly and pulled her into me. She threw her arms around my neck and tried to climb up onto my chest. I swallowed hard, glancing down to my son just as two bodies, in the same S.W.A.T. gear i was wearing stopped by his body. I looked up to commrades, my friends and held the crying girl as they both took off thier helmets. As the girl, I knew her as Emily, cried and started to scream on my chest, all I could do close my eyes again and pray to God i'd see my sons green glistening eyes once more.

The next 20 minutes went by in a blur. We waited, checking more bodies, until we got the all clear from the captain that the mall was safe. The shooter, who acted alone, was shot in a stand off, and the clean up was starting. I still had a job to do. Check victims, check for more weapons...anything. But my eyes never left my son's body. Max was wearing the same thing he left the house this morning in. A pair of back skinny jeans, one knee frayed open. And he was still wearing one of my old band shirts I gave him a few years back. A Led Zepplin one, but it was now diffrent. It was soaked in his blood. As the paramedics came in with a stretcher, I watched them lift him gently on it, already checking vital signs. One of the paramdeics started to rip at his shirt as he was pushed out and my heart dropped down into my toes. There was a gash bleeding out on his semi sculpted stomach. How the hell could I have let this happen?

"Knight?" I snapped my head to my left seeing my captain was walking beside me, with the girl on clutching onto him. "Go with your boy. Take her. I aready called Saint Mary's. Dr. Mitchell is there, requesting she come with you two." I nodded not really understanding why a doctor woud want to see an unhurt victim but went alogn with it. I started to undo my bullet proof vest watching the two paramedics raise my son into the back of an ambulance. I gently pulled the girl inside and followed after real quick. I sat her down next to my son's head and she grabbed the hand closest to him, crying out. I sat beside her, watching as the rather young looking paramedic start to get an IV ready. I reached in one of my pant pockets, down on my leg by my knee and pulled my phone out. As I turned the screen on, my heart started to pound fast. I had 20 missed calls from my wife, and a slew of scared texts from her as well demanding answers. I glanced up to my son seeing the medic put a needle in his arm carefully. I leaned forward feeling the ambulance start and opened my phone, quickly calling my wife. The phone only rang once before I heard her panicked, crying voice.

"Kendall? What's going on? Are you aright? Logan called and told me to go to Saint Mary's. I'm here and he isn't telling me anything. What happened?" I closed my eyes running a hand over my freshy buzzed head sighing out.

"I..." I stopped feeling a pained breath leave my body trying to figure out how to tell my wife, our only child was shot.

"Kendall?" Her voice was quiet and laced with fear. "Is Max okay?"

"No." I said it quietly and quickly hearing beeping coming from in front of me. I glanced up seeing Max's heartbeat on a monitor. "He was shot Jules." I didn't hear anything from her. Instead a small shaking body threw itself on me and I sat back quick raising my arm. She dove under it and clutched onto my vest and sobbed out loudly.

"We're almost there Kendall." I glanced up to the front to see we were speeding down the street, lights fashing, siren screaming.

"Jules...go to the ambulance drop off." I hung up quick putting my phone back in my pocket looking back down at my son. "How is he doing?"

"He sounds good. He's lost a bit of blood but he's going to make it. The bullet is pretty deep in but taking it out shoud be a breeze. He'll be alright Kendall." I nodded looking back out to the front seeing the hospital maybe two blocks away. "I heard the shooter was shot in a stand off. Is that true?" I looked back to the paramedic working on my son and nodded once watching him shake his head. "Good." I looked away quick, down at the girl crying on me still and tried, with a heavy heart to prepare mysef to see my wife.

When the ambuance stopped the back doors were pulled open quickly. I turned to them, not surprised to see four doctors, all in blue or green scrubs waiting to help. When they started to pull my son out, the paramdic not far behind hoding his IV a familiar face caught my eye. Logan my best friend was in a tan button up shirt, with a white lab coat over top. Usualy his face would make me happy. He has been my best friend for almost 35 years. Yet today, right now, all I coud think was what if my son died. And then it hit me. "Daddy?" Emily pushed off me fast and jumped out of the ambulance running to Logan who looked clsoe to tears letting her jump in his arms. He held around her tight squeezing his eyes shut hard whispering he loved her over and over. As Max was wheeled away, loud talking already starting, I found i couldn't move out of my seat. The first tears started to drop seeing Logan grip onto his daughter. And I ony started to cry because what if i couldn't hold my son like that again?

"Kendall." I clenched both fists together and set my elbows on my knees so I could prop my head up on my fists. A sob left my throat hearing a familiar, strong voice get closer. "Come on man. Max is going to be okay. Let's go inside and get some water." A hand gripped the back of my neck and pulled me into a strong chest. He was wearing his whoel gear still, just like I was. Carlos was another very clsoe friend. He was also my partner on the force. He had my back so many times in my life, I figured one more time coudn't hurt.

I trusted him as he walked me out of the ambulance and into the loud, busy hospital. My vision was clouded with tears, but I could see bodies rushing past, some bloody, some crying. Alot of people, I could tell, were staring at me. For what, I couldn't tell. Maybe because I was silently crying, letting Carlos lead me through the halls. And maybe it was just because Carlos and I were there, in S.W.A.T. gear still. It didn't matter however, as I was walked into the ER, and stopped by a nurses station. Standing in a tight, knee length black dress, with a black cardigan over it, holding around herself, crying looking up at a TV was my wife, Juliet. Her hair usually in a tight bun on the top of her head, was down around her shoulders. The little make-up she was wearing around her eyes, was smudged. And if it were any other day, any other situation, I would have ran to her and kissed away her tears. But how was I supposed to do that when my own were falling as well. "Juliet." She turned to Carlos and I quick and cried out. She rushed to me, pushing past doctors waking by and collided into me. I wrapped one arm around her back while my other hand tangeled in her hair closing my eyes rocking her gently. I felt a pat to my back and heard heavy boots walk away, knowing Carlos was giving us space. Her arms, skinny and long wrapped around my back tight. She pulled down on my vest in the back and cried openly on my chest. As I held her and opened my eyes to see Logan standing about 15 feet from me, still holding his daughter, talking quietly with Carlos something struck me. I needed to chin up. I needed to start acting like the strong, brave guy my wife needed right now. So I gently pulled her off my chest, set my hands on her face and forced a smile wiping at the tears with my thumbs.

"He's going to be okay. There going to take the bullet out and he'll go home, and he'll be okay." Her eyes closed and she pressed her lips together hard. I leaned forward quickly and kissed her forehead locking eyes with Logan. I motioned him over to me and he did, Carlos and his daughter walking along with him. When he stopped behind us I let Juliet put herself back on my chest and sighed out calming my breathing down. "Do you know where he is?" Logan nodded brushing Emily's hair back off her shoulders clearing his throat.

"He's in an operation room right now. From what I uderstand James made it his mission to be the one to be in there. He's going to take good care of him." I nodded and looked down at Emily who was staring at the crying woman on my chest.

"Emily...can you tell me what happened?" Her eyes found mine and she sniffeed wiping her face off on Logan who didnt seem to mind.

"We...we just left the food court. He bought me a pretzel." I nodded letting Juliet turn in my arms. When the two of them faced each other, Emiy started crying again. "We walked inot Forever 21...he was helpign me pick out a dress for the dance coming up. I was about to walk in a fitting room when I heard...popping sounds. And then people started screaming. Max...he grabbed me. He shoved his body into mine and pushed me on the floor. He covered my head with his and told me to call 911, and tell them someone was shooting at the mall." She took a deep breath wiping her face shaking her head. "The popping sound stopped and he slowly stood up telling me to stay down. I didn't know what he was doing until i saw him trying to get to his phone. That's when he got shot." Her voice trailed off and she looked to her dad, crying out. He held her face and kissed her nose before looking at me. I shook my head and looked over his shoulder, seeing his office door closed tight.

"Can Juliet stay in your office, until Max is out of surgery?" He nodded fast and turned pulling Emily with him. I followed, Carlos close behind and let Juliet go. She reached out to Emily who looked to her, bottom lip quivering. Juliet pulled her to her and carefully walked her to the leather couch. The girls sat down and I turned to Logan. "I want to see him." He only nodded turning to hsi daughter pulling off his doctors coat.

"I have some water bottles in the fridge over there. And I have a few blanekts and pillows if you get cold. Have a nurse call me, if you need anything." He set the coat by Emily who was already curled up under Juliet's arm. When he turned back to me, before leaving his office i pulled off my bullet proof vest and unbuckeled my utility belt around my waist. I set them both on Logan's desk and turned following after Logan, again Carlos behind us.

It was almost too much to watch. To see my son shirtless on an operating table, blood covering his stomach and chest. He didn't look like my 17 year old son. Instead he looked like the small boy I used to put on my shoulders as we watched hockey games. He looked like the 5 year old who I used to pay hide and seek with, who loved to get tickled. He looked like the tiny, 4 pound premature baby I thought I was going to loose when he was born. I didn't see my 17 year old son. I saw a victim. And i saw a child. And it hurt me down to my core. The only silver lining was seeing the surgeon opperating on my child. James, who was again one of my best friends, was also one of the best surgeons in the state. He also happened to be married to Logan. They were my best friends, plus Carlos and as the three of us looked in at James and my son I realized how blessed I actually was.

"The bullet's out. He's gonna sew him up." I glanced down to Logan who had his hands in his pants pockets looking directly into the room. His voice was so quiet, he almost sounded hurt. All I could do was nod, however, and look back in the room seeing only the still face of my child. "Kendall...you will never know...Max will never know how grateful I am...how James is going to be when he finds out what your son did. There are not enough words in the world that can express how much love i have for you and your family." I reached out blindly and pulled Logan into my side letting him hug me tight. He was going to be the third person to sob on my chest, but I didn't mind. Logan needed to let it out and I was going to let him, in anyway. "I thought I was going to lose her." He said it through painful crys making me start to tear up again. But as I held my small shaking fragile friend I saw James talk to a nurse pointing out to us. I frowned and looked to Carlos who also looked confused. When the nurse walked out to us lowering the mask over her face I perked up seeing a bullet, still bloody from my son, on a plastic small plate.

"James wanted you guys to see this. He said it would make more sense to you if you looked at the tip." I frowned and let Logan go taking a pair of gloves out from a case on the wall. I pulled them on and grabbed the bullet turning it up. My stomach immidetly turned and I ganced in the room to see James still working on Max.

"Hollow point?" I nodded turning to Carlos who gave a small smile to Logan as the nurse walked in. "Hollow point bullets can cause a lot of damage. The idea is that they expand once inside the target. They can cause a lot of tissue damage. But as logn as the removal was easy, it shouldn't be too bad."

"Why do you think James wanted you guys to see it." I ganced down to Logan before walking to the sink in the corner and washed the bullet off with hot water.

"Because...hollow point bullets aren't a huge seller in the city. Someone had to search for these. Which means..." I turned inturupting Carlos and felt my anger start to rise.

"Which means the person who did this, has been planning it, and wanted to cause a lot of damage".


	2. Chapter 2: 23

I tried very hard, to be quiet as I pulled back the curtain leading into the room, but the metal hooks scrapped agaisnt the metal pole and by the time I walked in there was a body stirring on the soft brown couch by the huge window. I frowned watching Juliet stand, pushing a red blanket off and rush to Max's side. He was still sound asleep and when she realized that she looked at me with hooded eyes. I smiled small raising the two hot Starbucks cups and she smied back. "I didn't hear you leave."

"I had to eat something. And I knew you'd want coffee." She nodded waking aroudn the bed our son was hooked up too. I extended her cup to her and sipped the last of my black coffee walking back to my seat right next to his sleeping form. We hadn't been in this room with him for more than 5 hours and aready it felt like a lifetime. As I sat back in my seat I put both arms on the rests and let Juliet sit on my lap, not leaning all the way back, so she could see Max. I gently started to rub her back and looked anywhere but at the IV hooked to his arm. And i looked any where but at blood still pumping into his body, from the bag. The paramedic wasn't lying when he said Max lost a lot of blood.

"You look exhausted." A few fngertips grazed over my cheek and I half heartdly smiled up at my beautiful, stressed out looking wife. I simply shrugged making her sigh out and look back to Max, but kept her hand on my face. "Do you know how many people died?" I laid my head back and closed my eyes, resisting the urge to sleep.

"The last Carlos told me, was 22." She sighed again and I continued to rub her back. "If Max hadn't pushed Emily to the gorund..."

"23." I simply nodded and let her pull herself up further on my lap. "How were you able to stay so calm when you saw him Ken?" I raised my head and saw I was being watched. I again shrugged but opened my mouth.

"My only thought walking into that mall was find survivors and stop the shooter." I paused and looked to Max shaking my head. "I checked for his pulse and kenw he was alive so my next concern was Emily." I turned back to Juliet who was watching me intenty, hand now resting on my chest. "Do you know when Carlos and I walked in that store, she must have heard us and screamed, I don't want to die." She closed her eyes tight and fell on me, shivering at the thought, or the cold in the room. Probably both. "She jumped on me Jules. She sobbed and screamed at the sheer horror she just went through. And all I could do was hold her and let her cry on me. I..." I was stopped, hearing the curtain being pulled back and turned my head smiling at our guest.

James walked in, still wearing his blue cap over his head, and face mask hanging around his mask. His scrubs were clean so I had to assume he changed them after working on Max. "Hey guys. How we doing in here?" James wheeled a black leather stool over to us and sat in front of us, looking at the monitor beside Max.

"James..." Juliet jumped off me handing me her coffee, just to leap onto James. He huffed out and held around her, laughing quietly. "You saved our son." She breathed out hard and I smirked seeing him blush standing up.

"I was just doing my job. Besides...I heard he was a hero. It was an honor to save him." James opened his eyes and mine met his. I threw away my starbucks cup and set Juliets on the small table attached to Max's bed. "You look like hell." I chuckled putting my hands in my pockets looking at the TV on behind James.

"Back at you old man." James laughed but Juliet sighed pulling herself off him, wiping under her eyes. "So...when can we expect to break him out?" James quickly pulled off his face mask throwing it away and walked to the other side of Max quickly hitting some buttons on the machine.

"Well i can't make that call. When Logan gets here, he's going to be the floor's doctor. He'll be able to make a better judgement than me."

"Not the first or last time for that." We a turned to the door moving out of the way as Logan wheeled in a cart with his laptop and a handful of other useful looking things. "He had a heartrate spike. It dinged me to see what was going on."

"Yeah i saw that. He's been asleep the whole time." Logan smiled small at me grabbing Juliet's hand as he waked to Max's bed. I stood behind seeing James pulling back his blankets on him, moving his hospital gown around to look at his wound. "Damn i'm good." I rolled my eyes as Juliet laughed and quicky walked over to our son's hurt side. She knelt down and turned ghost white seeing what she was seeing. I simply stood next to Logan and watched as he fiddeled with the IV bag and checked the monitor. "Where's EM's?" James stood up straight and pushed the monitor closer to Logan to see, looking right at him.

"Picking Sam up from your mom's. He's begging to see us. Wants to make sure cool guy Max is alright, even though I told him you worked on him." James smiled and I did too knowing thier youngest child, an 8 year old boy, was over the moon about my son. He looked up to him and it made me proud.

"She was okay to drive?" Juliet carefully sat on the bed and brushed Max's shaggy brown hair out of his eyes. I quickly put my hand on the back of her neck and squeezed gently. Logan glanced to her laughing quietly at her question and raised his left leg putting his foot on a step on the bed. He turned back to the IV and sighed out.

"She got calmed down quiet a bit when i told her, as long as it was okay with you two, she could stay here tonight."

"Of course." They all looked to me and i shurgged yawning quietly. "She has gone through a lot. I know Max makes her feel safe." James quickly backed away from the bed and pulled out a sleak looking phone answering it quietly. "SO you got a time for me, when he can go home?"

"Well if he's anything like you Kendall, these pain meds are going to kick his ass. So as his doctor i need to make the decision to see if he can hande the pain and let me hlep him get back on his feet, or i drug him up, let his body heal itself over time." I hated the idea of the later and knew Juliet did as well as she looked back at me. "All I can say right now, until he wakes up, and tells me how he feels, i can't do much. Which means i need to maybe start waking him up. James?" We a turned to James who put his phone back in his pocket and nodded to Logan. "Can you call in Aaron? He is going to need to pull back on the morphine and be in here while Max wakes up." Juliet moved out of the way as James searched for the nurse call button and quickly leaned forward kissing Logan's cheek.

"I have to go. One of the victims is bleeding out again." With that James then kissed Juliet's head and patted my shoulder as he ran out of the room rather quickly. It made my stomach turn knowing there were peope in this hospital right now that could die because of what happened today, but I couldn't really care at the present time. Mostly because Max's head was starting to roll back and forth and there were soft groans coming from his open mouth. Juliet jumped off the bed and grabbed his hand bending down.

"Max, baby?" Logan pushed off the bed and pushed the curtain back looking out of the room calling for a nurse. I automatically took his spot by his head and set a hand on the top of it swallowing a dry lump in my throat. Max continued to groan and just as his eyes opened, i was gently pushed back by Logan while Juliet was also pushed back by the nurse who has been with us since we got in here. "Max?" I saw Max's eyes move over to his mom and he reached up quick trying to pull the tube out of his nose. The nurse gently held both his arms down as Logan hit some buttons on his machine and clipped a metal clip onto the IV going into his arm.

"Hey Max...it's Logan. I'm with your mom and dad. You're in the hospital. I am going to raise your bed up and maybe take that tube out of your nose, but for the time being i need you to keep your arms donw and not touch it, okay?" Max groaned out, closing his eyes again but nodded. I watched with pained eyes as the nurse and Logan let Max go and Logan turned back to his computer. I stepped out of the way and stood sort of at the edge of his bed watching him look around the room blinking the sleep from his eyes. When he stopped on me his brows furrowed and he nodded his head at me. I frowned and shook my head and a smile started to tug at his mouth. I smirked hearing Juiet cry quietly and watched as she walked to me. She cluthced onto my arm and i glanced down kissing her head. And then i spotted it. He was probably wondering about my uniform. Even thought my vest was off, i still had my S.W.A.T. shirt on. "Okay Max...let Aaron know if you start to feel any discomfort. Hit him, yell real loud...whatever." Aaron smiled and glanced to the monitor as he started to raise the bed so Max was sitting up. "Jules when was his last check up?" She pulled away from me and i quicky waked over to the nurse standing behind him smiling donw at my son.

"Hey buddy. How you feeling?" Max again smiled but it fell fast as he started to cough out. Because of the tube donw his nose, the coughing seemed a lot worse than it was and it scared me. However the nurse quickly turned a nozzel on an oxygen tank behind the bed and his coughing subsided.

"He had his physical before school for football." I looked over at Juliet who was sitting in my old seaat hoding Max's hand. "There were no outstanding problems."

"Good...alright..." Logan finsihed typing something up before pushing his computer to the side and walked around Juiet. "Okay Max, this is going to suck, i'm not goign to lie. This tube has been helping you breath since your surgery. The reason being was you started to strain yourself when you came out of anesethsia." Max looked up to Logan with wide, scared eyes making my heart break. "We put your bed up so you're sitting up, because i've had a few patients throw up as the tube comes out. Your gag reflexes might be hit and if they do well..." He stopped and looked to Aaron who bent donw quick. "Aim for the trash can." Aaron held the trash can next to him and i braced myself watching Logan take the tape off Max's face that had been holding the tube down. "Okay buddy. I'm going to count to three. On three i want you to take a deep deep breath and exhale as you start to feel the tube leave. Okay?" Max nodded and looked right at me. I nodded and reached out putting a hand on his leg. "Okay...one, two and three." I tensed up hearing Max take his deep breath and exhale as Logan started to pull the tube out. Max groaned quiet a bit but otherwise handeled it like a champ. And when it was completely out he laid back hard coughing loudly. At first i thought he was going to barf but when he stopped coughing, Logan and Aaron had the tube untangeled from his bed and detached from the tank. "Check you out Max. You handeled that like a champ. Just like your mom." I rolled my eyes feeling a litte more relaxed. "Okay...how you feeling Max?"

"Better since that things out." I fet a wave fo reliefe hearing my son's voice. "Sorry about all the boogers Doc." I coudn't help the laugh that eft my mouth making Juliet sigh but stand up and sit back on the bed with Max as Logan laughed with me and shook hsi head.

"Trust me...i've seen a hell of a lot worse." He turned to his computer and quicky started typing up. "It's good to hear you as yourself Max. How's the pain?"

"It's there but it's not terrible." He paused and he looked between me and his mom before stopping on the nurse who was looking at hsi wound dabbing at it with a steril pad. "What happened to me?" My eyes fell to the floor and my happy world came crashing down. How the fuck was i suppsoed to tell him he was shot?

"Well..." Logan was beside Juliet quick, one hand on her shoulder smiling small. "You were shot. You and Emily were at the Mall and someone started shooting a gun."

"Emily..." His voice was panicked and i looked up quick shaking my head. Aaron finsihed looking at the wound and moved awya, giving me the perfect opportunity to move in and stand closer to his face.

"Emily is perfectly fine. Minus being scared out of her mind. But you saved her Max. You shoved her to the ground and covered her with your body. She said you guys didn't hear the gun going off and you stood up to grab your phone you dropped. That's whem you were hit." Max laid his head back and sighed out raising a hand and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"And let me guess? You found me?" I assumed he was talking to me and i nodded smiling.

"How do you figure?" He turned to me slowly and grinned up at me.

"I remember hearing you. You were taking...your voice sounded so calm. I could easiy recognize it." I swallowed hard and nodded as he turned to Juliet knowing i didn't sound cam at all. "So do i have a cool scar?" I sighed out hard, walking away from his bed and laughed with Logan who went to his computer. I took a seat in the stool on wheels and wheeled behind Juliet kissing her shoulder.

"Actually because James works so clean it may not be all that cool." He snapped his fingers making his mother laugh as she bent donw kissing his forehead. "Dude...you are looking real good. I don't think your time in here is going to be that long. But we need to keep you around mostly for your humor. But also to check your stich job." I glanced over my shoulder to Logan who was furiously typing while looking at his laptop. "You hungry kid?"

"I could eat. But not this gross hospital food."

"Max..." Juliet turned so she was now facing me and i smirked up at her. "It's times like these were I remember he's your son." I tried my best to look offended but nothing worked. "James?" I stood and turned fast hearing him walk in. He didnt look so good. "Hun...what's wrong?" James forced a smile walking past the nurse and went right to Logan whsipering something in his ear. When he pulled away Logan looked right to me and shook his head clearing his throat softly.

"23."


	3. Chapter 3: Rest

**I thought i was only going to do Kendall's P.O.V. but i'm not. LOL. so before each chapter i'll clarify who's P.O.V. it actually it is. Enjoy!**

 **James's P.O.V.**

No matter how quiet I tried to be, I wasn't. At least not to the tiny, fat old Pug that came screaming at me as soon as the front door shut. I smiled donw at him, keeping my hand on the handle, locking it. He jumped up on my legs urging me to bend down and pay attention to him. Which I did. I carefully set my back pack on the hardwood and kenlt down rubbing my hands over his chunky back. He yawned, snorting along the way, and stretched using my stomach as his support. When he got used to me finaly being home, he pushed off me and breathed out heavily as he walked back to his spot in front of the fireplace. As I stood myself up my ears heard something get set down on a table. I looked up quick and frowned seeing Logan sprawled out in my big comfy reclining chair, trying to sit up. There was a thick book beside him and an empty gatorade bottle knocked over. He groaned pushing the recliner back down and yawned pulling his banket off him. "Sorry to wake you up."

"I'm glad you did. How are you doing?" I walked to him, leaving my back pack on the ground heading rigth to the couch beside him. I plopped down hard and breathed out taking my keys out of my pocket, alogn with my phone. "Babe you look exhausted." I watched with hooded eyes as Logan stopped right in front of me and kneeled down quick. He pushed my legs apart keeping his hands on my knees rubbing gently.

"I checked on Max before I left. He tried to do to much even though Juliet told him not to, and he started bleeding heavily. We got him cleaned up but..." I shook my head quickly rubbing my hands over my face yawning loudly.

"That kid is as stubborn as an ox. Just like his father." I laughed lowering my hands and let Logan lean up and into me putting his elbows on my hips and his hands on my chest. "You hungry?" I shook my head and raised a hand running it up through his messy bed hair. "Sammy and Jessie were terrors tonight. Sammy didn't understand why Emily got to stay the night at the hosptial so he refused to change inot PJ's. And Jessie was too worried about you. She said, 'Daddy streeses too much about work.' I agreed with her." I smirked as he leaned in and kissed onto my chest over my plain black shirt. I closed my eyes as he moved his kisses upto my face and could ony see the faces of my three kids and Logan. And as he attached his lips to mine, I realized how grateful I should start acting.

Logan didn't really have to force me to walk up to bed with him. After checking all the doors and windows, and grabbing some water for me, I walked up the stairs slowly rubbing a hand over my neck feeling like I was seconds from collapsing. Like usual, I checked Sammy and then Jessie seeing them both sound asleep, safe in bed. When I finally made it to my room, i kicked off my Nikes to the closet and tore off my shirt, throwing it to the hamper. I thumbed out of my jeans and tossed them to my desk, yawning loudly again. As I turned to my side of the bed I watched Logan take off his sweater and shirt before walking to the French doors leading out to our private balcony. There was a nice crisp breeze that floated in making the bed seem all that more needed. I climbed in, after tossing off the many throw pillows and laid donw hard, keeping the blanket off me. Instead of Logan walking all the way back around our bed to get to his side, he carefully started to climb over to me, pushing the blankets as he went. However, I reached up and grabbed his arms and held him place over top me. He smirked and bent down kissing my nose. "They told me I didn't have to come in tomorrow. Since we technically have vacation." Logan sat up slowly and he smacked his head shaking it softly.

"I fucking forgot about vacation. We were supposed to go camping with Kendall and Jules..."

"Obviously not anymore." He groaned sitting back so his tight little bubble butt sat right down on my dick. I sighed, very happily and he shook his head.

"I know the circumstance is diffrent now James, but you need rest. You have a hospital full of trained, experienced surgeons who can do your job for you. Not as well but i'm biased." I sat up quick wrapping my arms around his back and saw in the moonlight coming in through the French doors, a cocky little smirk go across his face but fade quickly. "We can't save them all James." He said it quietly and it made me frown. I looked donw at his bare chest and started to drag my fingers over the skin on the small of his back. "It's not your fault babe." He kissed my forehead, a cute little reminder that I wasn't alone in life and closed my eyes. He knew I was upset about the patient I lost 20 minutes after surgery. I had a terrific track record of saving people's lives. I don't like to loose. Especially when it comes to people's lives. "Hey...let's lay down. Cuddle." I couldn't help but smile as he pushed me back and I opened my eyes. Logan did an awesome job of pulling my boxers off along with his own and getting us under the blankets. All in a matter of seconds. As I was exhausted not 5 minutes ago he started to stroke me sucking on my neck and suddenly my fatigue was replaced with horniness.

We made love slowly and passionetly. He stayed on top of me, doing most of the work, which neither of us complained. I liked to watch him move over top of me, occasionaly groaning out quietly. And I liked when he put my hands where he wanted them. Wether it be on his sides, his thighs, his dick...I let him take control. Looking at our sizes, most people probably think I dominate. But not in the bed. And when it was all said and done, and he got under the bankets with me, we took our usual positions. He pressed his back into my chest, laying his head on my arm, while my other arm was drapped over his side and stomach. He locked our fingers together and kissed on them as I quickly drifted to sleep.

When I woke up, I could barely move my body. I was so stiff and groggy I almost didn't recognize where I was. But when I opened my eyes and blinked away the sleep for a couple of minutes, I remembered my previous day and how I came home at 2 in the morning. I groaned quietly, turning my head into the pillow under it and yawned in it. I was lying on my stomach, one arm tucked under me, while the other was stretched over our Cal King bed. I raised my head and frowned seeing I was alone and yawned, again. Because I was so groggy I had to assume I have been asleep for a while. And as I started to push myself up and out of bed, i saw the alarm clock on Logan's side and frowned. 12:27.

I was slow to walk from the bed to the bathroom. I turned the water on in the shower and took a quick pee contimplating my day ahead. I could go into work, see if they needed any extra hands. But if I did, Logan would probably castrate me. But if I stayed home, knowing my best friends son was there and I wasn't i'd feel like hell. Honestly I'd rather take my chances with Logan knowing I was going in. So I quickly took a shower, shaved my face clean and brushed my teeth. When I got out of the shower and started to change into jeans and a t-shirt I heard one of the most beautiful noises in the world. My kids laughing, along with Logan. My heart burst as I quicky dressed myself and walked down the stairs.

When I took the last step I coudnt help but laugh out loud seeing Logan lying flat on his back. Sammy was leaping over him, rather trying too. Everytime he'd try to jump over Logan, Logan would sit up and tickle him making him shriek out. On the last time he did it, Sammy saw me, shoved away from Logan who was laughing still, and rushed to me. "Daddy!" I scooped him up quick ignroing the aches in my back and walked to the couch sitting down next to my 13 year old daughter. "Poppa said were going to see Max again!" I looked around Sammy who was now holding my hands, standing on my thighs bouncing excitedly. Logan and I locked eyes and he smirked leaning back on his hands stretching his bare feet and cracking his neck.

"Have you heard from them?" Logan nodded and looked up at the colorful cartoon on the TV.

"Yeah Jules called. Dr. Brown has been with them since I left last night. Since Max's bleeding he's been doing very well. Said his pain is low. They are considering letting him go tonight or tomorrow morning. Before I could say anything else, Juliet apologized for them not being able to go camping, and I laughed." I smirked looking up at Sammy who was gued to the TV still standing on me. "She asked, since we both are on vacation, if we could make house calls when Max is relased. And I told her obviously." I nodded and looked over to Jessie who hadn't acknowldeged me because her nose was in an animal behaivour book, music blaring from her headphones. I quickly pulled Sam down to sit on my lap and pulled an ear bud out making her groan and look up to me.

"I already told dad I'll go see Max but if Emily and him start making out i'm hurling mysef out the window." I chucked and couldn't be happier hearing my daughter. It's bad enough to watch Emily date Max, who may have come from great parents, but wasn't really the best choice for my kid. He smoked, pretty sure pot and cigarettes. Got in trouble last year for throwing a party while Juliet and Kendall were on a second honeymoon. Has several tattoo's and peircings which he's tried to get Emily to get. Again, I liked the kid, just not for my daughter.

"I'll let you sit in my office if it gets too much alright?" I turned to see Logan stand and stretch his arms over his head yawning.

"How much sleep you get?" He laughed shurgging and bent donw picking up a few toys and coloring books that were spread around our huge living room floor. "Go help poppa. I'm gonna eat real quick." Sammy jumped off me and ran to a stuffed bear on the ground twirling it as he stepped closer to the TV. I stood up and made my way into our clean and bright kitchen. As i walked around making myself an egg sandwich and a cup of coffee i heard someone come in and sit at the bar. When i fianlly got my snadwich made and creamer in my coffee i turned and frowned at Logan who was sitting at the bar staring at me. He had one hand holding up his head, while the other played with the salt shaker in front of him. I took a seat next to him and went to reach for the salt but he shoved it away fast. I sighed hunching forward and grabbed my coffee.

"I'm worried about Kendall." I snorted setting my cup down as he turned in his seat to me. "You didn't see him yesterday James. He was a wreck."

"He had to pull his bloody unconsious son's body from a mall shooting. How would you be?"

"Yeah but..." He paused and i took a big bite of my sandwich looking at him. "It's almost like when they lost the baby." I swallowed hard looking over Logan's head at our kids still in the living room, both putting shoes on. "Do you remember the stupid shit he pulled? The shit he put Juliet through?"

"Yeah and I'm sure he does too. They went to cousiling babe. They worked it out. He knows he can go to her now. It will be okay." He sighed putting both elbows on the counter in front of him. "I know that big giant brain of your's is telling you to find an answer for them but there is none."

"That's bleak." I laughed again finishing off my sandwich shaking my head as he glared at me. "Just promise me, you will tell me if you find out he if does something stupid again." I crossed my heart making him curse at me under his breath and slide off the stole taking my empty plate along with him. I leaned forward a little and watched as he cleaned up my breakfast mess, feeling a little bad. He always had to clean. Nothing could be out of place, or messy. Our house looked great and our kids picked up great habbits of not being slobs, but his habbit wasn't a good thing. Before i met him, he was in an abusive relationship that fucked him up mentally. Ever since then, he's had horribe OCD. I loved him, but i wished he would let me help him.

It was a hassel pulling Sammy away from the TV and getting Jessie to get ready but when we were all in my four door BMW and i was driving down the same route i used every day to get to work, all was calm. Logan called Juliet and told her we were on the way and asked if they needed anything. The request were coffee from Starbucks and a big greasey burger for Kendall. When we finally walked through the hospital doors it was almost 2. Logan and I said hello to fellow collegues who all said the same thing. You're on vacation. Go home. But when we reminded them we had famiy here, the wished us a speedy recovery. And as I lead my family into Max's room all i knew is his recovery would be speedy. But maybe not for Kendall and Juliet.

Kendall was sitting in the chair by Max's bed sound asleep. He was still in his unifrom from yesterday. He was down so low in the chair it didn't look comfortable. But when Juliet saw us, she jumped up from the couch her and Emiy were sitting on and put a finger to her lips. "They both just fell asleep. I had to fight one of them to get sleep, and i bet you can guess which one." I smiled big as she walked to us, letting Sammy collide into her legs, hugging her saying hello quietly. Logan walked to the end of Max's bed picking up the clipboard and setting the drink tray with four coffee's in it down. I slowly walked in as well and locked eyes with my oldest daughter who was walking towards me. When she stopped in front of me I set the bag of fast food on the counter by the sink, i pulled her into me. Emily wrapped around me and I sighed out watching Jessie walking to the couch sitting donw hard still eating her fries. "Thanks guys. And thanks for letting Emily stay the night. She was very helpful and sweet. Let me sleep on the comfy couch bed while she took the cot." I smiled letting Juliet walk to us and also pulled her into me hugging her tight. "Do you think you could do me a favor?" I looked down to her face as Emily pulled away and gently sat on Max's bed, letting Sammy crawl up on her and stared down at him. I brushed some hair back on Juliet's forehead and nodded. "Kendall hasn't been out of his unifrom since yesterday morning. Carlos said Kendall already told him that he's going to work on Monday and he hasn't been sleeping. Can you just take him home for me please? I know he'll hate it but he needs to rest."

"God damn that sounds familiar." I gave an evil glare to Logan who smiled sipping from his coffee looking up at the TV. When he lowered his drink he gently leaned back agaisnt the wall and shrugged. "How about when we take all the kiddo's home we'll take Kendall and James will stay with him to make sure he gets a good meal in, a hot shower and more than 20 minutes of sleep." Juliet nodded pulling away from me and I sighed out.

"Kendall doesn't get a say?" They both turned to me and i put up my hands fast. "I want him to be healthy and have a clear mind but if he want's to be in the hospital with his son who was just shot, he can." Juliet turned away from me quick as Logan gave me a really nasty look. "How about you two just sit down, take a deep breath and realize you don't have control over everything and you don't need to have control over everything. For the time being, i'm going to go check up on some patients.


	4. Chapter 4: Home

**Juliet's P.O.V.**

Nothing made me happier than hearing my son was going to be able to leave with me from the hospital in less than 20 minutes. Was I worried he could get even more hurt? Absolutely. But as a mother that's a constant fear everytime he walks out the door. But this worry of hurt was different. What if one of his stiches broke off too early and he bled out in his sleep? What if he fell in the shower and busted his head open? Okay, that didn't have anything to do with his gun shot wound but I was still allowed to worry about it. "Hey." I glanced to my left and smiled at my very good friend walking towards me, clipboard in hand smiling big at me. "How come you're outside?" I frowned and crossed my arms over my chest nodding back to the closed hospital room door.

"Well my 17 year old son was too embarrassed to have his mom in the room as they changed him into his sweats and clean shirt." Logan chuckled and turned the clipboard over to me handing me a black pen to go along with it. "Of course he let your daughter stay in there..." I eyed him and he shook his head flipping through the papers attached to a clipboard next to my head. "What's all this?"

"Release forms. I know they are super busy here today so I thought i'd speed the process up for everyone. I can walk you through each sheet if you'd like. But Doctor Brown has to talk about the medications." I nodded quickly signing off that i was his parent or gaurdian just as the door opened behind me.

"Okay. All clear." I spun on my heels fast at Kendall who moved out of my way smiling small at me. I gently shoved the clipboard into his chest and walked to Max who was holding around Emily, both sitting on the bed. I sighed and got on his other side pushing hair back on his head. He groaned quietly but didnt push me off. Even in front of his girlfriend. "Why do I get paperwork?" I glanced over to Kendall who set the clipboard on the counter and bent slightly starting to read over it. "How old are you Max?" Everyone kind of laughed around us but i remained silent. I kept my hand on Max's head and stared at James as he came walking in with Max's doctor.

"Alright kiddo. Honest pain talk." I snapped my vision to Max who sighed out and gently raised both hands raising 7 fingers. I sighed kissing his temple and closed my eyes. "Well we did give you some pain medicine before you got unhooked from your IV. It should be hitting soon but I need to be honest Max. This recovery process isn't going to be easy. And I mean football is out of the question for a long time." I opened my eyes and watched him put his head down locking his fingers together with Emily's. "Also...no working out. No running. Literally I need you staying in your bed for at least the next three weeks."

"Which means no school?" I rolled my eyes at my son as Kendall stood up and walked over to us, standing between Logan and Doctor Brown.

"Which means your mom and I are going to be harrasing you every second of the day until you're better." I smirked as Kendall winked at me and handed the clipboard to the doctor. "It's needing your signature." Doctor Brown took it from Kendall and cleared his thoat getting everyone's attention as he started to read off.

It was a slow process from moving Max down to my car from his room. Kendall and James left earlier than us, and by the time we got down there, the car was by the curb, with the passenger door open wide. I had my hands on the wheel chair, pushing him out, Logan beside me holding his daughter. When I stopped by the car Kendall bent down and let Max put his arm around his dads shoulder and help him glide into car. I sighed out letting the nurse take the wheelchair from me and wish us luck, as I turned to Logan. Emily was looking hoepful at Max, as if she was going to be able to come with us, but I gave a very serious look to Logan shaking my head softly. "Okay Em's...say goodbye. We're going to let them get Max set up and comfortable, and then maybe after school tomorrow you can go see him."

"Daddy please..." I smield small at her as she gave her full attention to Logan who just shook his head. She huffed out before turning to the car and bedning down. I watched as she kissed Max hard and walked to the back seat door. I pulled it open and gently closed it sighing out hard. I was still in my dress and high heels from work on Saturday and felt gross. I hadn't showered since Saturday morning and felt like i was covered in sweat and stress. I watched as Emily pulled away falling back into James who was looking at Max, waving softly. Kendall got in the driver seat and shut his door quickly pulling his seatbelt on. When the car started I turned and saw Logan leaning into James, as they both waved to us. Kendall gracefully pulled off the curb and sat back breathing out hard. I watched him try to hide a yawn but I still saw it.

"Maybe we should stop and get some dinner before going home. I don't really feel like cooking." Kendall only laughed and nodded pulling up to a stop sign.

"I could go for a real hamburger. Not that veggie one they gave me in the hospital." I smiled at the back of my sons head as he laid it back groaning quietly. "How come Emily couldn't come with us?" I shifted my eyes to Kendall who was looking at me in the rearview mirror and I nodded to him. He chuckled and pulled out onto the semi busy street.

"Because as soon as you get home all you're going to do is sleep. All she's going to do is watch you sleep. Both Logan and James already told her, she had to go to school tomorrow. It's better this way. For her." I cheered my husband on as he twisted it into a way that Max couldn't argue. And when he remained quiet I smirked crossing one leg over the other and glanced out my window watching the sun slowy starting to go down. I looked out it for a solid five minutes before Kendall's throat got cleared. I glanced up quick and he looked back at me thumbing over to our son. "He's already sound asleep. I'm going to have to carry him inside." I laughed and carefully took off my seatbelt sliding up on the seat. I got inbetween the two front seats and set a hand on his chest rubbing softly. I leaned on the head rest right next to his head and watched him peacefully sleep as Kendall grabbed one of my hands and kissed my knuckles. "He's alright." His voice was quiet and it made me shiver. I also looked over to him and leaned forward quick, kissing his lips softly. There was a loud honk behind us, making us pull away, and Kendall to press on the gas. I kept my hand in his and continued to rub Max's chest. We stayed queit, hoping Max wouldn't wake up from pain, even as we drove through a burger joint and got dinner. Complete silence except for the engine running in my small four door Benz up until Kendall pulled up to our dark driveway. There were no lights on in the house making me slightly worried. I got out of the car quick and opened Max's door. "Babe..." I looked at Kendall who gracefully threw me my keys. I caught them and nodded turning to the house. "Max...buddy..." I cringed knowing Max was a terror when he was woken up and hurried to the house.

I unlocked the front door and stepped in quickly turning on a few lights in the living room. I set my keys on the coffee table and turned to head back outside. Except Kendall was walking inside holding our son like he was a small child. One of Max's arms was aorund the back of Kendall's neck while the other was curled up on his chest. I bit my bottom lip hoping I didn't cry out and walked with Kendall as he went to the couch. He carefully set Max down whoes eyes fluttered open."Did I already eat?" I laughed pulling a blanket off the back of the couch and covered him quick.

"No...let me go get it. And if you can muster it, I think you should sit up." Kendall put his hand on the small of my back as i was bent over but it left as quickly as it came. When i glanced over my shoulder he was already back outside. I sighed out and quickly went down on my knees putting a hand on Max's head.

"You need some help sitting up?" He simply nodded and gave me a sad look. My heart broke as I set an arm aroudn his shoulders holding him as he did most of the work. He was quick to swing his legs off the couch and i stood up fast kneeling on the couch beside him rubbing his back. "Pillow behind you?"

"Please mom?" Again my heart broke and i quickly placed a throw pillow behind his back. He slowly sat back and sighed out rubbing both his eyes. "I can't believe dad was able to carry me in here." I smirked and gently sat next to him, unbuckling one heel strap on my left foot. "Do you think he can carry me up to my bed when I go to bed?" I laughed loudly at this making him turn to me, frowning.

"Max your dad used to have to do fireman carrys for the department training. I think he can handle you." He chuckled putting his head back just as my first shoe fell off my foot. "How's the pain?" Max shrugged and hummed a response just as Kendall walked in. I pulled my other heel off too tired to fight with it and stood up taking my diet coke from him as he shut the front door.

We sat on the couch in the living room, eating our seperate burgers, while Max put on a stupid TV show i wasn't really watching. Him and Kendall would occasionally laugh at something while I just numbly ate my cheeseburger and fries. The other two were done long before I was and when I fianally finished i glanced over to them to see I was being watched. At least by Kendall. He was sitting back in the corner of the couch with one hand behind Max's head, and the other one bent at the elbow. His hand was holding his head up and his eyes were locked right on me. I sighed and gently patted Max's knee making him turn to me. "How about we get you in bed and comfortable so you can go back to sleep." He nodded yawning loudly and pushed the blanket off his legs. He started to push himself up, Kendall and I grabbing his arms. He groaned as he stood on his two feet but started walking. I looked around him at Kendall who was smirking down at our son.

"Just because you think you can push yourself to get better doesn't mean it's a good idea smart guy." Max groaned at Kendall who only laughed and looked up the long stair case. "You want me to carry you?"

"That's probably a good idea smart guy." I smirked at my smart ass son as Kendall quickly, but carefully rose Max up. He put his unhrut side on his stomach and slowly took the stairs. I followed, watching my whole word (literally) walk up the stairs. Kendall woud stop for just a second every now and then letting me know he was struggling. Max wasn't heavy but he did keep himself in shape for football. He had some muscle and he was tall. He probably wasn't light going up stairs. When Kendall got to the top I rushed past them and hurried to his bedroom. It was closed but i shoved it open sighing immedietly. His room, like usual, was a mess. However his bed was free and clear and i went to it quick pulling back the black comforter. Kendall gently sat Max on it, sitting him up and they both breathed out hard. Max wasn't gentle about lying back on his side and groaned as he did it. I frowned and quickly covered him up with his blankets getting on his bed. I put my knees by his stomach and bent down kissing his cheek. I kept my hand on his forehead as i pushed up a little and smiled donw at him. He looked at me before laughing and closing his eyes. "I'm alright mom. Please stop worrying."

"Good luck with that kid." I casually flipped Kendall off behind me feeling him rub his hand over my back. I bent down again and kissed his cheek, this time closing my eyes so i wouldn't cry on him. One of his arms came out from under the blanket and wrapped around me, pulling me donw into him. I gasped quietly and felt two tears leave my eyes.

"Mom, why are you crying?" Kendall's hand moved to my butt which was sticking up in the air, and made me jump up and off the bed. I wiped my face and smiled at Max who was looking at me weird. "Mom...I'm home and I'm alright. It's okay."

"It's not Max. And for a long time I am going to be emotional. I thought I was going to loose you." Max sighed out and glanced to Kendall who quickly squeezed my ass and bent down kissing Max's head loudly. I smirked wiping my face and crossed my arms over my chest.

"We will be in our room down the hall. If you need something and you yell and we don't come, call one of our phones okay?" Kendall stood up and I saw Max nod. He reached up quick and grabbed his TV remote yawning loudly. "Come on babe." I let Kendall pull me towards the door as I continued to look down at my son who was now looking at his flat screen TV. When we got out to the hall i let out a shaky breath and threw myself at Kendall who willingly let me, and held around me.

I don't even remember being led into our bathroom but only noticed it when he finally pulled away. He said something about going donwstairs and locking everything up and he was gone. I sighed out seeing I was sitting on the edge of our bear claw bath tub. I stood myself up and glanced at myself in the mirror. I looked like hell. My makeup was gone off my face and i had horrible bags under my eyes. My hair was messy in the ponytail i had put it in early this morning. I honeslty didn't care I looked like shit, because I felt like shit. I pulled my cardigan off my shoulders and tossed it to the counter yawning rather largely. I turned and walked to the faucet in the tub and turned it to warm. I quickly plugged up the tub and stood back up reaching behind me for the zipper on my dress. As i pulled it down Kendall came walking in, a glass of ice water in one hand and an opened beer in the other. I frowned as my dress fell down around my feet and he smirked at my half naked body. I rolled my eyes quickly stepping out of my panties and hooking my bra off. He set the drinks next to my cardigan and tore his shirt off, showing off every muscel in his back and arms. i gently sat back on the edge of the counter, ignoring the cold on my butt. I watched as he pulled his black work pants off and kicked out of his shoes. When he was compeletly naked in front of me he walked to the tub and poured some of my bubble bath soap into it filling the air with the rose scent. I inhaled deeply and let him pull me to the tub. I put a foot in and shivered at the warmth. As i put my other foot in Kendall got in quick behind me and pulled me donw with him.

We sat in our tub, not saying a word. I was inbetween his legs, which were too long to fit, so he had them up, bent at the knees. I had my arms on his knees and my head back on his shoulder. Both his hands were wrapped around my stomach. Every now and then he would drag his fingertips over my skin, sending shockwaves through my system. "How you feeling?" I laughed and turned my head glancing up at his face. He was looking down at me and I raised a hand quick letting the water from it fall on his head. He sighed out looking ahead and suddenly I felt something poke my back. I raised an eyebrow and turned around on him putting my hands on his chest. As he gave me a concerned look, one of my hands dropped down to his semi hard dick. He sighed out putting his head back and placed his arms on the tub edges. "James told me you guys had a little argument today." I tensed up, still rubbing him. "You know...just because James is my best friend...and i've been through alot with him, does not discredit you." I removed my hand from him and started to climb up on his lap. He watched, putting his hands on my hips digging his fingertips into the skin. "How about the next time...hopefully there isn't a next time...you talk to me. If we talk it through, no one gets mad or hurt." I bit my bottom lip as he easily slid inside me, making us both maon. I fell forward and put my arms around his back as his hands held my butt. "I love you beautiful girl." I raised my head slightly and locked eyes with him as he started to pull out of me. I raised a hand and set it on his face nodding softly.

"I love you too, Kendall."


	5. Chapter 5: Monster In My Head

**Kendall's P.O.V.**

The very first thing I did when I woke up, was check on Max. Juliet was still asleep, and when i creeped into Max's room he was too. I sighed in relief seeing my house the same way it was when I fell asleep and walked back into my room. Juliet was still lying on her side our white sheet and dark blue comforter pushed off her. I sighed softly at the round, firm cute as hell bubble butt poking out right at me. I walked to her side of the bed quietly and softly set my hand on her hip, while my other one set outside on her pilliow by her head. She turned fast and opened her eyes, smiling instantly. I smiled back, turning her with my hand on hip so she was lying flat on her back, looking up at me. I looked in her eyes but my eyes automatically fell down to her tits. Both her hands went on my face as I slowly dipped my hand down in between her legs. "Is Max awake?" I shook my head bedning slightly and kissed above her left nipple closing my eyes. "What time is it?" I raised my rigth hand by her head and put in her face, wiggling my watch. She groaned quietly and i pulled my lips away from her breast looking to her face. "We slept late."

"I'm super late for work." She giggled and I stood up stretching my hands over my head. "I know everyone will understand that I don't go in. I just feel bad." I wasn't fast enough to walk away from her before she pulled herself up on the bed in front of me. Her hands rested on my shoulders and she pulled on me, making me walk flush against the bed, eye level to her tits. I put my hands on the back of her knees and glanced up seeing her giving me a small smile.

"I think Max would like having you home anyway. I know I would." I sighed quickly pulling her legs out from under her making her fall down on the bed hard. She huffed out sitting up after falling on her back and put her hands back on my arms. "We need to check his bandage." I nodded turning pulling her off the bed as I went. "I'm gonna get some clothes on. And start some coffee. Wake him up for me will you?" I only nodded as I walked out of the bedroom and went donw the hall to Max's open door. I stood in the door frame seeing him sitting up in his bed, his feet touching the floor. He wasn't wearing a shirt, and had only boxers on. He had his head down and he looked like he was trying to steady his breathing.

"How you feeling?" He glanced up and I walked in slowly stepping over all the things on his floor. I knew the day he got shot, before Juliet went to work, she asked him to clean his room. Clrearly he didn't listen.

"I feel like shit." I sighed at his curse word and walked to his desk sitting on the edge putting my hands in the pokcets of my sweats. "My stomach hurts real bad. Not nesecarilly the wound but next to it."

"Yeah dude...you had an object enter your body by force. It's going to take some time to heal and feel right again." He groaned out and laid back on his back, putting his arm around his stomach while the other rubbed his eyes." You wanna try to eat something?" He only nodded and I stood up walking to his dresser. I pulled out a shirt and sweats for him and turned to see him pushing himself up to stand. I walked to him, clothes out in front of him. He gave me a weird look, almost as if embarassed. I frowned and tossed the sweats to the bed unfolding his shirt. "You think you can lift your arms?" He nodded and started to, but groaned as he did. I simply pulled the shirt on him and slipped his arm through the hole on his hurt side. I lowered his arm quick and went to work on the other side as he put a hand on my arm. "You need help with the sweats?" He shook his head fast and sat down as soon as his other arm was in the whole. He grabbed the sweats and started to bend to put his legs through the wholes but he gasped out loudly and stopped. I dropped to my knees fast and put one hand on his arm, while the other held his face. His eyes were closed and a few tears were coming out. "Max...you don't have to do this alone."

"i hate feeling weak. Especially in front of you." My heart snapped and I took my hand off his face. He opened his eyes and wiped at them with one shoulder. He sniffled and he nodded down to me. "How am I supposed to be anything but tough around you? Around mom? I can't cry or show any kind of emoton because you..." He paused and I raised my eyebrows and he shook his head. "Nevermind. I can do this by myself." He started to pull the sweats back up but I stopped him fast feeling like I was about to cry.

"Do you know when you were born and we had to put you in an incubator, all I could do was cry? Was feel weak and feel helpless?" We locked eyes and I sat back on my feet putting my hands in my lap. "You almost died Max. Your mother almsot died. And do you know what I did? I sat in the waiting room. Crying. Being weak." He looked down quick and wiped his face with the back of his balled up fist. "I don't expect you to understand how hard it is to see your child hurt, and not be able to do anything about it. But don't you dare say I've made you cold and hard and unabel to cry. Everytime you've scrapped a knee...everytime you got the flu...I felt like the worst father in the world. And when I held you on Saturday as you bled out on that mall floor all I thought was...it's my fault. I let you get hurt once again and I was going to have to face the facts. I am a shitty father. But only because you get hurt." We locked eyes again and he was no longer crying anymore. I was, but he was done. "I have done my hardest to raise you to be a good man and a good person. And you proved that by literally taking a bullet for your girlfriend. But if you think crying, and being weak makes you anything less than my son than I can add that to my shitty list of things I've let happen to you." I started to stand myself up quick, looking donw, so he didn't see the tears pouring out of my face. Before I was standing completly up however, both my arms were grabbed and he was using me to pull himself up. For the first time in a really long time, my son hugged me. And not a quick bro type hug either. He wrapped his arms around the back of my neck and shoved his face into my neck crying out quietly. I wrapped around him tight, avoiding his bandaged side and shut my eyes lying my head on the top of his. I was crying still but his quiet sobs ripping through my chest made my tears come out more aggressive. I clutched onto the back of his shirt and tugged on it letting my emotions get the best of me.

We stood for a solid 10 minutes, clutching onto each other, crying. He pulled away quick blushing wiping his face, but I helped. And he didn't push my hand off. He let me clean his face of wet marks and when I finished he sat down and breathed out hard. "Okay...I think I need you to help me with my sweats." I smirked shaking my head and bent down letting him hand me the sweats. I let him put his feet in and made him hold them as I stood him up and he put a hand on my shoulder while he groaned quietly, stretching, pulling the fabric up all the way. When he breathed out I let go of his unhurt side and looked around his room for his sweater. It was on the end of his bed and I grabbed it quick throwing it over his shoulder. "Do you think...I can try to walk down the stairs?" I tensed up seeing him turning to the door but he stopped and looked at me. "With your help obviously." I chuckled and nodded following him out slowly watching him clutch onto the walls as his support.

It probbaly took us five minutes to get donwstairs, but I didn't mind. He grabbed my hand as we went and I put a hand on the small of his back leading him slowly. When he stepped on the last step I heard a few sets of male laughter from my kitchen and frowned walking him out to the noise. Our huge, clean kitchen was occupied by four people, who all turned to us, smiling big. I locked eyes with Juliet who was leaning against the island coffee cup in hand. She smirked before setting her cup down and walked to us setting a hand on Max's cheek. "You hungry?" Max nodded aggresively making all of us laugh. One thing my kid always was...hungry. And a smart ass.

"How you feeling buddy?" Logan walked to us as Juliet walked away and went to the huge stainless steel fridge opening it up.

"Okay. Little sore. Stomach is kind of turning." Logan nodded taking Max from me and walked him to the bar stool he just vacated. James who was drinking coffee, set it down and quickly pulled Max's shirt up on his bandaged side. I sighed out hard walking behind Carlos clapping his back gently. I bent donw and shook my head seeing James starting to peel back the bandage.

"Babe...in the car is my backpack. It has some gauze in it." Logan simply nodded ruffling Max's hair as he went by. "Well...it's bleeding a little." I tensed up feeling Juliet push into me, but ignored her small gasps for now. "But I think it's jsut irritated. Did you sleep on your side?" James stood back up from his squat and quickly threw the bloody gauze in the trash in our kitchen. I also stood up and watched Max look donw at the stiched up hole in his side, quickly beoming very still. "Max?" Juliet quickly raised his head and Max was super pale. I put a hand on the back of his head and he closed his eyes groaning quietly.

"Holy shit..." I smirked seeing Juliet roll her eyes and turn to me.

"Yeah...it's pretty intense. But the good news is it doesn't look infected. I think mostly irritated. I want to air this out for a minute so just keep your shirt up alright?" James turned quick to the sink and started scrubbing his hands clean with soap.

"Can I have somethign to drink?" Juliet turned fast to the fridge and pulled it open grabbing an OJ container. "I don't think I've ever seen anything like that before. It felt like I was going to pass the fuck out."

"Max." Juliet's stern voice made him only shrug just as Logan came walking back in. I took the seat next to Carlos on the end of the bar and ran a hand throuh my hair yawning out. "Here baby...I'm gonna make some eggs and French toast. You want anything specific?" I set my head in my hands and watched Max gulp down his juice, shaking his head at his mother. Juliet nodded and turned back to the stove going to work quick.

"Let me help Jules. You suck at makign eggs." Carlos slid off the bar stool taking his coffee with him and let Juliet slap his shoulder as he stood next to her. "So the Captain called me this morning. Woke everyone one in the house up. But he said you weren't answering your phone. Asked me to send you and your family prayers and love. Told him I would." I nodded staring at the back of my best friend, my partners head and cleared my throat.

"Los?" Carlos turned quick eyebrows raised and I smirked. "Thanks...for being there...walking me off the ledge. Telling me Max was going to be okay." Carlos shrugged turning to me completly and in the corner of my eye I saw Max look between us as James and Logan knelt down beside him looking at his wound.

"If the roles were reversed I know you'd do the same. Were brothers. I'm happy to stand beside you and save lives." He turned but not before winking at Max, giving him a thumbs up. Max chuckled laying his head on the bar top in front of him and groaned quietly.

"Do you two have to poke at it? It does kind of sting."

"Shush...were cleaning it up. The stinging means it's working." Max groaned again and it made me laugh. I set a hand on his head and rubbed it a couple times looking aorund my kitchen.

No, at this current point in my life, things weren't perfect. But as Juliet and Carlos made breakfast at the stove, and my two doctor best friends cleaened my son up and bandaged him back up all I could think was this was pretty clsoe to perfect. And the only thing that would make it better is if I still didn't have this monster in my head telling me, It was all my fault.


	6. Chapter 6: Save You

**Logan's P.O.V.**

It made me sick to my stomach to watch my two best friends work at the beautiful dark cherry wood dining room table. They were looking through pictures...pictures from the mall shooting that happened just two days ago. They were trying to find reason...find an excuse as to why this guy did what he did. But I knew, just like they did, they weren't going to find anything. "Baby..." I glanced to my left seeing James sit down next to me putting a steaming mug of tea in front of me. "Okay boys...what are we looking for?" One hand of his rubbed over my back as he grabbed the folder in front of him, opening it up.

"Well we got a call at the station yesterday." I looked up to Kendall and watched him sit back grabbing a beer bottle. "Someone made a threat. The mall shooting was just the beggining. The suspect had a list of places he was going to hit next. We already went through his phone...he has random numbers he's been texting about what happens after the mall. And in those texts, he told these people about clues he would leave at the first crime scene incase something happened to him." We all went quiet and I reached out grabbing a picture of some bizzare writting on the wall of one of the stores. In someone's blood.

"K...I get all that." I glanced to my husband who was leaning forward, also holding a beer bottle. "But...why are we looking at these pictures in your dinning room? And two of us aren't cops?" Carlos smirked as he sat back and drank from a whiskey glass and Kendall sighed.

"Because regardless of the fact that I'm the captain of a police department and Carlos is my sergent...the FBI was told by the SWAT captain my kid was shot and I was too close to the case. So they put me on paid leave for a month and I can't help." He paused and turned his head a little raising his beer bottle. "Unless i'm here, I guess." I closed my eyes sitting back onto James's hand. "You don't need to help Logan."

"I just don't really feel comfotable with it Kendall. For any of us." Automatically Kendall and Carlos started to laugh thier asses off as they continued to look at all the pictures and files in front of us. "What is so funny you pricks?" Before they could answer, Juliet walked out putting a laundry basket on the ground next to Kendall's chair and kissed his cheek.

"I guess you just met these two but they don't follow the rules. They make the rules. After breaking them." I frowned at her as she pulled down on Kendall's lap and she took a swig of his beer. When she set it down she picked up a peice of paper and shook her head. "This looks like the kind of story you see on Criminal minds or something."

"Hence the FBI taking over." Kendall gave me a dirty look but I ignored him picking up another picture squinting donw at it. "I don't understand...why go through all this? Usually theres a shooting and it's just that. Nothing more until the next one." James's big strong hand gripped the back of my neck and i put the picture down closing my eyes shaking my head. "How do you guys do this every day?"

"Ligour?" I glanced to Carlos but Kendall answered as well.

"Pussy." I frowned but watched Juliet elbow him in the shoulder as she pushed off him, running away from his tickling hands. "It's true. I'd be a mess if i didn't get laid...or at least have a body to come home to." Carlos raised his beer at that and I turned to James. He chcukled before leanign in and kissed my cheek.

"Jessie and Sammy are almost out of school." He nodded to the Grandfather clock in the hallway next to us.

"Yeah but I promised Emily she could come over here after school if she picked the kids up for us. I knew we'd be here with Max which reminds me..." I pushed myself up and grabbed my tea squeezing his hand, looking at Kendall. "Let me check his side and see how he's doing without the pain meds." He nodded and I walked into the living room smiling at the mother and son sitting on the couch, both folding clean laundry. "How ya feeling Max?" He looked to me and smiled big but I shook my head. "Can I check it? That bandage has been on since this morning." He nodded and pushed his blanket off him and scoot up a little on the couch. I crouched donw on my knees ignroing the screaming pain from my joints, and lifted his sweater and shirt. I felt a wave of reliefe seeing no blood on the bandage and looked at his face. "I'm gonna feel around it. Hit me if theres pain." He rolled his eyes dropping his head forward and I gently touched around the bandage. Nothing. I moved my fingers around, pressing here and there, but he didn't flinch once. I stood up quick letting his sweater and shirt fall back down and looked at Juliet. "It looks good. He's not bleeding anymore and it doesn't seem to be irritated anymore. I would seriously think about putting off the pain meds for now." She nodded rubbing his arm and i genlty sat next to him on the couch sighing out, taking a sip from my tea.

"Emily text me." I raised an eyebrow at him and he blushed looking to the TV show him and Juliet have been glued too all day. "She said she's picking up Sammy and then she's gonna get Jessie. But she wants to stay here for a while." I sighed looking over his head at Juliet who swallowed hard still folding clothes.

"I understand you guys are in love..." I cringed hearing it about my 17 year old daughter but bit my tongue looking at the TV. "But she has school. She has homework. She can't be on your side 24/7. She needs her rest just like you do. She can stay for dinner like her parents are, but after that she has to go home. I know you care about her..."

"Okay mom." Max kicked off his blankets once more and slowly stood himself up, mumbling about going to the bathroom. The bathroom door shut kind of roughly making both of us jump and look at each other.

"Why am I always the bad guy?" I luaghed and she sat back chuckling. "I love your daughter...you know that but they literally spend every waking minute together. Don't they get sick of each other?" I laughed and put my head back closing my eyes.

"I know I would." We went quiet and I seriously considered taking a nap since I got a whole four hours of sleep thanks to James and I screwing the night away. But sleep didn't come. I wasn't even able to have my eyes closed for more than a minute before her soft voice crept in my head.

"Have you and James talked to her about sex?" My head snapped up and she sat up raising a hand. "I'm just curious...I found condoms in his room when i cleaned it. Out of a ten pack three were missing." My whole body went still and my head started to swarm. "I'm tempted to ask Kendall if Max has said anything to him but..." She stopped and I sat up getting closer to her.

"Have you guys talked to him about that?" SHe nodded and pointed out to the dinning room. "Kendall did?"

"Yeah...he told him to respect women, no means no and if he acted stupid, he'd kill him." SO in other words, don't be a pig, no forcing, and use protection. I breathed out hard leaning on my knees holding my tea in both hands. "I guess if they are active...at least they're being safe." I groaned quietly just as Max came walking back from the bathroom, sweater off baseball cap on, backwards.

"I can't believe I'm missing football practice right now. Or that I'm gonna miss the rest of the season." I frowned at him as he walked past us and went out to the kitchen. Yes I cared about Max, because I did love him like a family matter, but he really was starting to remind me of a man who I knew when I was younger. A man who was smooth with his words, and could get into anyone's pants just by his looks. And that man was James and if I was able to fall for James the way I did, Emily would surely fall the same way for Max.

Juliet quickly shifted the conversation to something other than our children having sex, and sat and talked for a good 45 minutes, laughing and reminescing. Yes I knew Kendall before Juliet but we were alot closer. She could always make me laugh and I was always wiping away her tears when Kendall was an ass. We got so wrapped up in our conversations I didn't realize the time, until there were soft knocks at the door before it was shoved open and my 8 year old son barged in. i stood up fast and wrapped an arm around his stomach picking him up before he could run out to the kitchen for his after school snack. I looked to Emily who walked in slowly, looking to the couch, probably for Max. "How was school?" She shrugged looking at Juliet who stood up and went to Jessie, offering her a snack and food. "You want a snack Sammy?" He squirmed in my arms and jumped out of them yelling yes, following after Juliet and Jessie. I turned to Emily who was looking up the stairs and I smiled. "He's in the kitchen." SHe sighed out and set her backpack down starting to walk. "Emily..." I put my hands on her arms and made her look in my eyes. "You know...you can tell me anything right?" She frowned, giving me a weird look but before I could say anything more Max was beside us, smiling big at Emily. He handed her a coke can and took her hand turning her. They started to go to the stairs, as another body got beside me, sipping from a beer.

"Door open Max." Kendall's serious voice made me feel comfort as they both looked to us, blushing.

Kendall and I walked back out to the dinning room and I grinned at James who had Sammy on his lap, showing him his work from the day. Thankfully the pictures and reports were put back in folders and put in Kendall's backpack. I walked to my original seat next to James and took a cute pitcure of a drawn pumpkin with a cute little story about it. "And then we got to watch a movie daddy!" I turned to him, eyebrow raised and James laughed pushing hair off Sammy's forehead. "It was a Charlie Brown movie about the great pumpkin!" I smirked turning to my middle child who had headphones in one ear, homework already spread out around her. Juliet walked out a plate of cheese and crackers, and apples and carrots with a ranch dip and a caramel dip. "Thank you Miss Juliet!" She blew him a kiss also setting a water bottle down in front of Jessie who quietly said thank you. I frowned, noticing for the first time how small and shy Jessie was looking. I reached forward while Juliet sat with Kendall and Carlos, and talked, and put my hand on her open math book.

"You okay?" She nodded but it faded fast, as she looked back to her homework munching on an apple slice. "Jess honey...whats the matter?" She shook her head, still down and I turned to James who was giving her a concerned look. "Jules...guys...would you mind giving us a minute?"

"Of course. You want us to take Sam?" I nodded at Juliet who walked to James, taking him, while James handed the snacks to Kendall and Sammy's juice to Carlos. They all cleared out of the room offering to entrain Sammy with another Halloween movie. Once they were gone, James reached forward and pulled an ear bud out of her ear putting a finger under her chin, making her look at us.

"What's going on sweetheart?" Her eyes darted back and forth between James and I and it worried me. I put a hand on his thigh squeezing it, making him hold it, and squeeze my hand in return. "Jess...baby talk to us."

"How come..." She paused and my throat started to swell up. "How come I don't have a mom?" The whole world stopped and I felt the color drain from my face.

Not too long ago, about when Emily was Jessie's age, she asked us a similar question. It shook us to the core as parents...as human beings, and especially a couple. We couldn't give her answer without confusing her, and a few weeks after that she continued to bring it up. James finally broke down and told her we had a women give birth to her, using my genes, mixing with hers. We told Juliet to come to us with questions, and since then, she has been on board and educated. However, I had this horrible pit in my stomach that it wasn't going to be that way with Emily.

"You do have a mom." I turned slowly to James, who was smiling rubbing under her eye with his thumb. "But we are you're parents."

"But...two guys can't make a baby." I frowned leaning forward and put my head in my hand keeping my mouth closed. I feared if I opened it, i'd cry.

"No they can't. But..." He stopped and i squeezed his hand making him look at me.

"Was I adopted?" I closed my eyes and turned away from her, hoping I didnt sob out loud.

Yes, Jessie was adopted. It was a split decision James and I made when she was only 6 months old. Kendall and Carlos worked a case with a sick family who were abusing thier kids. Including thier 6 month old daughter. It was heartbreaking when she came into the hospital, malnourished, tiny bruises on her tiny body. My heart reacted and I called James to my floor I was working. When he got to me, I told him we were adotping this baby and we never looked back. "I know...I was. But I was just wondering...why? How come my mom and dad didn't want me?" I let go of James hand and turned back to see her looking at us.

"How did you find out?" I tensed up as she pulled her legs up to her chest and hugged around them.

"Emily." I sighed out hard making James pat my thigh and rub it. "I was curious to know why I didn't look like her and Sammy, who look like you guys." I forced a smile and I got a tiny one back from her. "She told me you guys rescued me, and so did Uncle Kendall and Carlos." James nodded slowly and she shurgged. "So...how come you guys had to rescue me?"

"Baby...one day I will tell you, but I don't think you're old enough to know yet." SHe deflated a little and i looked to James, who was giving me a sad look. I sighed out and leaned forward a little.

"DO you really want to know?" SHe perked up and James gave me a concerned look. "You have to promise me, that you will tell us if this makes you sad, or angry okay? You have to talk to us about it, and not your sister. Understand?" SHe nodded and James leaned forward fast.

"Loges..." I set a hand on his face and looked past him.

"Your mom and dad...they were bad people. They got in trouble with the police alot. They were selling drugs, and hurting you." Her posture fell and James reached out quick, pulling on her. She got up and quickly climbed on his lap. I reached out and pushed back her jet black hair keeping my hand on her face. "Your mom and dad were not fit to take care of a tiny baby. They couldn't support themselves, let alone you. When Uncle Kendall and Carlos got to you, both your parents were passed away, and you were left alone. Instead of you going to a foster home or another horrible home, daddy and I adopted you." She looked between the two of us again and I felt like throwing up. I did not think i'd ever have to have this conversation with her. Ever. But it happened and I could not take anything back. She sat on James's lap, in silecne and it made me so sad. However, she put one hand on James shoulder and one on mind and smiled small.

"Thanks for saving me daddies."


	7. Chapter 7: Today

**James's P.O.V.**

He wasn't looking at me but I could tell how upset he was. He remained looking down at his phone in his hand as I skillfully drove us through town, in the dark. I looked in the rearview mirror at the kids in the back, both asleep. I sighed out and leaned back a little lowering one of my hands from the wheel, resting it on my thigh. I slowed down approaching a red light and turned to Logan, who was now looking out his window, elbow up on the door, bitting at a fingernail. I reached out quick and set a hand on his thigh making him shake his head. "We need to talk. About Emily." I sighed looking ahead at the empty road in front of us and squeezed his thigh. "Juliet and I were talking..."

"Surpise, suprise." He sighed and gently laced his fingers with mine rubbing his thumb over my skin.

"She cleaned Max's room, and found a condom box...of ten, with three missing." I snapped my head to him fast and he nodded squeezing my fingers between his. "You and I know she always sneaks off with him...I guess it's inevitable. They are teenagers. You and I were like that once."

"Yeah...the difference is i was 21 and you were 20. We were living on our own and had the means to support ourselves. She's a kid Logan." He laughed raising my hand and kissed my knuckles. I sighed turning to the front and stepped on the gas going thorugh the green light. "Are we going to say anything to her?" With that question I glanced in the rearview mirror and frowned not seeing her tiny car behind us anymore. "Do you think she took the logn way home?" I nodded to the mirror and Logan turned quick, shaking his head.

"Probably. I've kind of noticed since Saturday the slight attitude she's got towards Juliet." I chuckled and carefully turned down our street yawning. We went quiet as i pulled into the driveway and then into our three car garage. I waited to open my door until the garage door shut and got out quietly. I opened the door right behind me and reached in unbuckling Jessie's seatbelt. I carefully scooped her up, just as Logan was doing the same with Sammy.

We were quick to get thier teeth brushed, changed into PJ's and into bed seeing as it was almost 11 at night. I kissed Jessie's head as she quietly told me she loved me, and she'd see me in the morning. I shut off her light leaving her door open and passed Logan as he walked in her room, and I went in Sammy's. I smirked as I approached him sitting up in his bed. Logan had put a long sleeved PJ shirt with dinosaurs on it, with matching bottoms, but he was scratching his chest and arms. "Too itchy?" He groaned and i laughed sitting on his bed. "You want a differnt shirt?"

"Can I sleep without one? I feel hot daddy." I fornwed but nodded. He pulled the shirt off and threw it to his floor falling back in bed. I stood up fast and put the back of my hand on his forehead and sighed out.

"Do you feel sick buddy?" He nodded snuggling onto his pillow leaving the his blanket, covered in tiny airplanes, off him. "Loges?" I pushed some hair back off his froehead leaning over him noticing he did look a little pale. I opened my mouth again, to yell for Logan but a hand on my lower back made me stand up and look at Logan. "He's got a fever. He's kind of pale." Logan put one knee on Sammy's bed and put a hand on his face. Sammy seemed to push into it and I sat down next to Logan setting a hand on Sammy's leg.

"Let's keep you home from school tomorrow baby. Just get some sleep and we'll check you out tomorrow." Sammy nodded rolling onto his side kind of wrapping around Logan's arm. Logan sighed but bent down kissing into his soft light brown hair. "I love you. Call for me and daddy if you need anything." Sammy nodded and Logan pulled back. I moved in quick kissing his cheek and stood up. I held Logan's hand as he turned off the light by his bed, and we walked out.

I followed Logan donw stairs, both of us noticing our oldest child wasn't home yet, but went in the kitchen not saying a word. I got in front of the sink and turned on the water washing my hands. "You want a drink?" I glanced over my shoulder, and watched as he pulled down a bottle of Jack from the pantry, back to me.

"Sure. It will help ease my nerves about confronting our delinquent daughter." He laughed and I turned drying my hands, watching him. He grabbed a coke can from the fridge and snapped it open, pouring it into two seperate glasses. He then added the Jack, being genrous with it, in both glasses and walked to me, handing me mine. I clinked my glass with his and started to drink it as his arm wrapped around my back and he pushed his body into mine. When I lowered my glass I set it down by my side and let him lay his head on my chest, sighign out quietly. With my free hand, I raised it and ran my fingers through his hair yawning loudly again.

"I hear the garage." I nodded raisign my glass again and took another sip. When I lowered it i heard the door leading to the garage open and close softly. I tensed up hearing her walking through the house and looked right at her as she walked into the kitchen. "Get lost?" Emily smriked walking to the fridge and pulled it open, turnign her back on us. "Are you and Max having sex?" I squeezed my eyes shut hard, not wanting to see my daughters face when she answered. I also coudln't believe Logan came right out and said it but said nothing. "Juliet cleaned his room...found some condoms missing from a box. Your dad and I...we don't care, Emily, as long as you're being safe, and smart." I turned my head, opening my eyes and took another gulp of my drink. I heard the fridge shut and breathed out hard after swallowing the cold, refreshign liquid.

"I messed up dad." I turned my head to her quick and felt my stomah fall into my toes. Emily was looking at us, biting her bottom lip hodling a Smart Water bottle. Logan pushed off me setting his half empty glass on the counter by me.

"What do you mean? Have you guys not used protection?" Logan seemed to be rather calm concidering and it worried me.

"No...it's not that. it's not about Max actually. Well...I guess it sort of is." She walked forward, but just a little to set her water down. We locked eyes but she looked down quick. "I...I met someone else." I leaned back alittle and frowned raising my glass to my lips. "I cheated on Max." Her voice came out quiet and shaky kidn of breaking my heart. But I didn't move. Instead, Logan went forward and quickly wiped away the first tear that fell. "A new guy started at school about a month ago. I was the one who walked him around...showed him everything, all hsi classes and we started talking. Max...Max got jealous seeing us together one day, but I calmed him down and reassured him nothing was going on. He was just a friend." Logan nodded putting a hand on her arm and she looked up at him. "One day he asked if I could show him around town and I said yes. Well we ended up at that hill over looking town and..." She blushed looking at me and I quickly looked down shoving my hand in my jeans swishing my drink around in my glass.

"Have you told Max?" Again, Logan sounded calm and composed. I don't know how.

"I was going to...on Saturday actually, but then he literally took a bullet for me and I don't know what to do." I looked up in time to see Logan turning to me giving me pleading eyes. I sighed setting my glass down next to Logan's and walked to them. I gently put a hand on the back of Emily's head and pulled her into my chest. She wrapped around me tight and breathed in hard.

"You need to tell Max." Logan shook hsi head softly rubbing her back and I kissed the top of her head. "I know it sucks baby girl. But you put yourself in this situation. If you loved Max like you always tell your dad and I..." Logan smirked at me and I smirked back. "You need to tell him. You obviously liek this other boy and that' alright. But it's not fair to Max or thsi othe rkid to pull them btoh along. You can't have your cake and eat it to babe." She groaned on my chest and shook her head.

"Juliet already hates me. Her and Kendall are going to hate me. And Max is goign to dump me." I opened my mouth but Logan raised a hand shakign his head.

"We can not help you Emily. You have to tell Max, and either try to work it out with him, or break it off with this other kid." Emily pushed off me and looked up at me with big brown eyes, glistening, just like Logan's. "We will be here for you and never judge you but this is one of those life lessons you need to learn on your own." She pouted looking down at my chest and I smiled kisisng the top of her head. "Why don't you go get some sleep...don't think about any of it right now and just relax, alright?" SHe nodded pulling away from me and turned quick. She grabbed her water and walked off quickly. We both stayed still until we heard her bedroom door shut. Logan turned to me quick and hit my stomach shaking his head. "Are you fucking serious?" I rubbed my stomach watching him grab both our drinks and walk out of hte kitchen. I followed out, frowning, seeing him sitting on the couch sitting down hard. "What the hell happened to our little girl? The one who wanted to be a doctor like her daddies? Or would stay up on Saturday nights and watch hokey with you? She's cheating on Max...having sex...always sneakign out..." He shook hsi head, just as I sat down kicking my shoes off my feet. I leaned back into the corner of the couch and let him curl up into my side turning on the TV. "She's not wrong by the way. Juliet is going to be pissed. And no matter what happens, my daughter is not going to be made to feel bad by her. I know Juliet. She can get nasty."

"Emily made this bed...she has to lie in it. I'm going to stand beside her and not let Juliet or Kendall get too nasty but imagine if the roles were reversed. You'd want to wring Max's neck." I shook my head and watched Logan turn the TV to ESPN, and lay on my lap yawning loudly. I set my free hand on his head and ran my fingers through his hair, knowing damn well I was going to fall asleep quickly.

I fell asleep hard. My Jack and Coke having a lot to do with that. Logan and I wern't big drinkers and I've always sort of been a light weight. But when I woke up, I was almost surprised to see I was still down in the living room, sprawled out on the couch. I raised my head squinting around trying to find my glasses Logan must have taken off my face and stopped. I heard soft talking out in the kitchen and quickly looked at my watch. It was almost 8 in the morning. I pushed myself up off the couch, grabbing my glasses by my empty glass slipping them on, and let my body crack an creak the whole way. i made my way into the kitchen noticing how cold it seemed in the house and looked through some blinds. It was overcast, the wind was picking up and it looked like it was starting to rain. I continued onto the kitchen and felt my heart break seeing Logan standing in front of the island, Sammy in his PJ's sitting on the counter in front of him. He was quietly crying, rubbing one eye with a balled up fist while the other held Logan's hand. Logan's other hand however had a spoonful of red lookign liquid and he was trying to get Sammy to take. "It's gross daddy." I slowly walked to them and put an arm around Logan making Sammy look up and cry out. "I don't want the medicine." I sighed leaning in and kissed Sammy's head.

"You're sick baby. It will make you feel better." Sammy pouted out and looked at the liquid on the spoon. "How about this?" Logan carefully handed me the spoon and pulled away from us walking to the fridge. "You know how much daddy hates this juice right?" Logan opened the silver fridge door and I groaned watching him pull out the bottle of prune juice shaking it up. He quickly walked to the cabinet, grabbing a small glass and walked back to us. I glared at him the whole way and when he finally filled the glass, with a lot more than Sam had I sighed out. I switched the spoon for the glass and forced a smile to Sammy who was wiping his face. "If daddy drinks his juice will you take this?" Sammy nodded and i clenched my body up as I raised my glass to my lips. Logan moved the spoon to his mouth, which was finally open. Sammy let Logan pour the medicine in his mouth, and i quickly swallowed my prune juice squeezing my eyes shut hard. "Look at my handsome guys!" There was a squeeze to my ass as I lowered my glass and swallowed the gross juice. "See not so bad when daddy has to do it oo huh?" I opened my eyes and Sammy nodded drinking from a plastic cup with a closed lid and a straw sticking out. "Okay...why don't you go get snuggled on the couch and we'll put on some cartoons okay?" Sammy nodded, still holding his cup as Logan set him on the ground. Sammy walked out slowly and Logan tried to follow but i wrapped around his body and started to kiss his neck. "Don't be a baby. You need to drink that stuff."

"And you don't?" I bit donw on his ear lobe making him laugh and push me away. "Does he have a fever?" Logan nodded as he opened the fridge and put the juice bottle back in it.

"I checked when I woke up this morning. He was at 101. He must have caught something at school because there was also throw up on his bedroom floor by his bed. I already cleaned it up and gave him a bath." I nodded and opened my mouth to ask if we needed to get him anything from the store just as the front door opened.

"Miss Juliet! Max!" I frowned pushing off the counter and walked out of the kitchen, Logan right behind. I had to smile watching Juliet walk in, arms linked with Max, both of them bundled in sweaters and beanies. And walking in behind them was Kendall, only in a short sleeved white sleeved shirt and a baseball cap on backwards. Sammy was hugging around Max's legs which made Max laugh and ruffle his hair.

"Is someone sick?" I nodded to Juliet who quickly scooped Sam up and kissed his cheek. "Poor guy. You're burning up hunny." Logan pushed past me and walked to the couch with Juliet and Sam. Sam curled up on Juliet's lap and Logan rubbed his back. "Well we came by because these two want to go to the batting cages. Figured you might want to go with them?" I raised my eyebrows and looked to Kendall who was smirking but I ignored him and looked to Max.

"You aren't supposed to do anything." Max rolled his eyes and put his hands in the front pockets of his sweater.

"He's not going to do anything." Kendal gripped the back of his neck and nudged into him. "But i want to go and he doesn't want to sit at home or go grocery shopping with his mother so..." I nodded and looked down to Logan who was staring up at me still rubbing Sammy's back. I sort of stuck out my bottom lip making him laugh.

"Watch him. Seriously if he hurts himself even more..."

"Loges i'm his surgeon. I got this. We'll duct tape him to the bench if we have to." Logan rolled his eyes and I smirked turning to Kendall. "Let me change real quick. I'll be right back." Kendalll nodded walking to Juliet as I went to the stairs. I heard Juliet quietly tell Kendall to watch thier son and Kendall promised he would.

By the time i changed my jeans, which I relaized I slept in, and my shirt, I washed my face, brushed my hair and brushed my teeth, and made it down stairs, Sammy was passed out on Juliet's lap snoring already. She didn't seem to mind as she rubbed his back and talked quietly with Logan, both with cups of coffee in thier hands. Kendall and Max wern't inside anymore and I quickly pulled on a black hoodie. "You need me to go to the store before i come home?" I walked to Logan putting one hand on the back of the couch, the other on his leg, kissing his neck. His free hand quickly ran up throuh my hair and pulled gently.

"No. Jules and I are going to go grocery shopping here soon. Were gonna have to take Sammy but I think he'll be okay." I nodded raising up a little and locked eyes with him. "Text me when you think you'll be home. Emily is picking Jessie up from school for us again." I nodded again and stood up straight quickly walking to Sammy passed out on Juliet. I kissed his head pushing his hair back on his head and locked eyes with Juliet who was smiling at me.

"Please don't let Kendall do to much. His shoulder is still pretty messed up." I nodded and stood up. "And I'm sorry for the attitue Max has." I luaghed and shurgged kissing the top of her head before walking away to the door.

"Love you handsome." I turned around before walking out and smiled big at Logan.

"Love you too nerd." I shut the door quickly before he could yell at me and walked out to the car parked on the side of the road, bass booming loudly from inside. I peered in seeing the passenger seat was vacant and I jumped in quick, getting out of the rain. As soon as I sat down, Kendall turned down the stereo and lit a cigarette lowering his window halfway. I glanced at him as I slipped on my seatbelt and he pulled away from the curb. "So what's this really about?" Kendall laughed and exhaled smoke blowing it out the window. "I thouhgt you quit."

"So does Juliet so keep that quiet. That goes for you too." I smirked looking back at Max who was smiling sitting in the middle seat looking at his phone. "We are going to the batting cages but Juliet won't let me talk about the case at home anymore. We had a screaming match when you guys left because she thinks it's going to fuck with Max's head seeing all of it, but..."

"What are you trying to prove?" Kendall turned to me one hand on the wheel and I sat back sighing out softly. "I know you Kendall. You want to solve all this because in your mind, you think it will make everything better. But Max was shot. You can't change that. If the FBI are taking care of it, let them."

"Do you and Juliet share the same brain or something?" I smirked hearing Max laugh and watched him lean forward, just as a rather offensive rap song came on and he coughed out a little. "I don't care what you guys say. Carlos is meeting us here and were going to go over what he managed to swipe form the station. If you want to help fine. If you want to show off your batting skills be my guest. Just don't tell Juliet." I looked out to the front and shook my head.

"Just tell me...did you guys figure out where the next attack was going to be? Or when?" Kendall chuckled and revved the engine as he climbed onto a on ramp onto the freeway.

"Yeah we did." He looked over his shoulder merging into a lane before he sighed out and sat back. "We don't know where. But we know when." He turned to me very serious and I felt my stomach flip. "Today."


	8. Chapter 8: Corners

**Juliet's P.O.V.**

"Daddy I want the strawberry gummie's!" I smiled at the 8 year old boy who was kicking his legs gently against the shopping cart he was sitting in. I turned my head ever so slightly to see Logan standing on tip toes graabing a huge box of starwberry gummies. "Miss Juliet do you like my stickers?" I looked back down at Sammy and nodded smiling small.

"I think we should have gotten two carts." I shrugged as I gently started to push the cart and walked next to Logan who was looking down at the long list in his hand, scratching something off.

"No worries. I don't think i'm going to be getting a whole lot. I mean...I need a whole lot but..."

"Kendall usually helps because he has a weird picky eating habit?" I snorted as I laughed and nodded my head and he wrapped an arm around my back pulling me into him as he kissed my forehead. "How you doing sweety?"

"Oh besides the fact that my son was shot three days ago and my husband is seconds away from going on a ramapage or having a heart attack? I'm great." I closed my eyes as he chuckled over me and started to take control of the cart for me. "Do you know the night we brouhgt Max home Kendall and I..." I stopped and opened my eyes seeing Sammy preoccupied with his sticker book and turned to Logan who was smiling small at me. "It was the first night we were together. And in the biblical sense." He laughed loudly turning our cart around a corner and I shook my head. "How sick is it that it takes our child being shot to get us together?"

"How long has it been since you guys had sex?" I elbowed him hard nudging donw to his young son and he shook his head. "Too interested in the book. You don't have to tell me but I do know the last time you talked to me about your sexy time with Kendall was last year at that cabin we went to for 4th of July. So that's about 14 months? Impressive seeing as how hot you are but..."

"Our marriage counsler said sex isn't necessairly the answer. But she also said sex can be like a band-aid. It helps for a while but only when it's on." I paused and turned to Logan who was frowning looking at the huge aisle of cereal boxes. "From what I gather...while i loved every second of our wet, intense love making in our bathtub, it didn't change the fact that deep down inside my heart...i'm still hurt." We stopped completly and he turned to me giving me a very sad look. "Everytime he comes home late from work all i think about is that he was on top of some young, perky titted bimbo, and doesn't love me. No matter how many times he's said he's sorry and he loves me and he made a one time mistake, I can't get over it."

"So why did you stay with him?" My mouth parted open slowly and he turned to me shaking his head. "I have known Kendall for a very long time. He has done some really questionable things. Hurting you was one of the worst but that night he came to see James and I and told us what he did..." He paused and grabbed my hands squeezing gently. "I have never seen him so vunerable. You did a lot for his character. A lot of good. But one thing Kendall has never been good at is handling his emoitions when he starts feeling them. Take the fact that his son was shot and he was the one to find him. What has been his main focus? Trying to find the reasons why...wanting to go on a ramapge with my idiot husband. Instead he should be..."

"Staying home with me and Max." Logan nodded and started to walk us again pushing the cart from me. "God damn-it he's such an asshole sometimes. But I can't help loving him."

"Trust me, i get it. If James didn't have such a big cock I would have killed him already." I burst out laughing grabbing a few boxes of cereal just as my phone started ringing in my pocket. I pulled it out staring at Logan who was tickiling his sick son who was starting to feel better. I looked down and frowned seeing Max's smiling picture and quickly answered.

"Baby...you okay?" I heard soft talking from the background and Max sighed.

"I'm alright mom. Dad just wanted me to call. To check on you." I rolled my eyes walking slowly along next to the cart. "Where are you?"

"Costco with Logan and Sammy. If your dad wanted to check up on me why didn't he call himself?" As soon as I said it, i heard the crack of a baseball hitting a bat and I shook my head. "Can you pull him away for one second baby?" He quietly said sure and the voices I heard eailer got louder. I cleared my throat softly just as Kendall soft laugh came on the phone.

"Hi beautiful. Did your son rat me out?" I laughed grabbing a box of granoal bars and tossed them in the cart.

"Rat you out for what? DId you hurt yourself again trying to show off?" He laughed just as three other laughs started around him. "How is Max doing?"

"Fine. He's been sitting the whole time stuffing his face with nacho's and a coke." I smirked putting my free hand in my jean pocket bitting my bottom lip. "So I need to come clean with something." I stopped walking and felt my toes go numb. "I wanted to come to the batting cages today because Carlos had found some stuff out from work." I let out a soft sigh of relief but shook my head. "There was another small threat of someone attacking the huge Walmart passed dowtown today. We didnt know where until someone showed up with a bomb attached to his chest and two assult rifles on his arms."

"Jesus..." I looked over at Logan who was giving me a worried look but I shook him off.

"No one got hurt. Some uniformed cops were there grabbing some lunch. They were able to take him down, without him setting off his vest of fake bombs." I shook my head softly just as we turned down another asile. I casually grabbed a jar of peanut butter at the same time Logan did and i opened my mouth. Probably to read Kendall the riot act for lying to me. But I never got the chance. "Finding all of that out...while I sat at a bench at these batting cages with Max who has a bullet wound, made something click in my head." I stopped in front of a shelf full of a bunch of different jellies and he chuckled quietly. "I need to change somethings babe." I shut my eyes hard and gripped onto the shelf swallowing hard. "I need to start being here for you...for Max. For our family. I have sucked at it the past coupel of years and I'm sorry. I know...I know it's going to take some time to make it up to you guys but I'm going to start being that man you met and fell in love with. I'm going to start beign that dad to Max that he's always wanted me to be." I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face as I opened my eyes and felt a hand on my back. I turned to see Logan smiling at me gently rubbing my back. "I'm sorry about everything Jules. About what I've done. And I'm going to start to make it all up to you tonight as soon as our son goes to bed." I laughed loudly at this and turned to Logan who was grabbing two jars of strawberry jelly. "I am also going to take my captain's word and take the month off he gave me. Max wants me to go to physical therapy with him and..." He stopped talking and I faintly heard walking. "I'm going to literally fuck you in every corner of that house." I laughed again walking behind Logan and blushed.

"Just the corners?" He laughed back at me and I shook my head. "I love you Kendall. And you have no idea how long I have been waiting to hear that from you."

"I love you too baby girl. And I mean it. Things are going to change." I nodded and stopped walking seeing Logan talking with someone I didn't know.

"I guess I'll just see you at home. I'll have Logan drop me off with the groceries." I heard him answer me but seeing Logan laughing it up with a rather attactive, young looking guy made me loose focus on my husband. "Love you babe. Talk to you later." He said it back and I hung up quick. I slipped my phone in my jacket pocket and walked up to them slwoly. The man saw me first and smilied big putting out both his arms like he was going to hug me.

"This must be Juliet!" I frowned looking at Logan who was blushing and smiling. He cleared his throat and nodded turning to me.

"Jules this is one of the new interns at the hospital, Sean." I smiled small and extended my hand. He took it, shaking it softly. "Believe it or not his first day was the shooting."

"Yeah lucky me." I forwned and pulled my hand back quick as soon as he said it and i swallowed hard. "Oh no...I don't mean anything by it. I know your son was one of the victims. I just know i would have never had a better chance to learn as much as I did that day." I could only nod as I turned my back to him and gave Logan a pleading look. Logan swallowed hard and cleared his throat.

"Well we have to get going Sean. Great seeing you, and I'll see you when I get back from my vacation."

"You too Logan. I cannot wait to learn everything I can from you." I turned to start walking and gave Sean a small smile. Before we walked away he gently grabbed my uper arm, just a little to hard for my taste and squeezed it, without Logan noticing. "Nice meeting you Juliet." I looked up at his face and yanked out of his grasp walking back into Logan. Before I could say anything about it, Sean sauntered off pushing his shopping cart, whistiling low. And just like that he was gone and Logan started talking to Sammy as if nothing even happened.

We finished our shopping, eventually grabbing another cart for all of my stuff, and left the store an hour after talking with Kendall. It was raining hard when we left and by the time we got to my house, it was a full on storm. Luckily Kendall's car was in the driveway and so was Carlos's. As soon as Logan parked on the street, the front door of the hosue opened and three guys, literally each holding a beer, came walking out. No coat, no sweater...just plain short sleeve shirts and stupid grins on thier faces. However seeing James walking beside Kendall reminded me of my encounter with Sean and before he got to the trunk of Logan's car I grabbed his forearm. "Can I talk to you a minute?" He nodded putting his free hand in his jean pocket and I sighed out looking to the back of the car. Logan was laughing with Carlos and Kendall and lightly shoved him to the side arms already full of groceries.

"Daddy!" The back door we were beside pushed open and James quickly reached in and grabbed Sammy who was looking pale again but happy to see his dad.

"Hi buddy!" James set him on his hip and because of the storm I gently grabbed James and pulled him to the garage. I put in our code for the door and waked inside with them, turning to James. "What's going on pretty lady?" I sighed out and leaned against Kendall's work bench.

"Do you know any of the new interns at the hospital yet?" He frowned and adjusted Sammy on his hip leaning against the hood of my car shaking his head.

"No. I don't usually meet them until abotu two weeks into thier program. But because of our vacation I didn't even know we had new ones yet." I nodded and put my hands into the pockets of my jeans looking away from him. "Why? This is a weird conversation Jules. Even for you." I smiled at him and shrugged.

"I don't know. Logan ran inot one today. Cute, tall, young looking guy. He seemed...I don't know. Weird?" He snorted and after putting his beer down beside him on my car her rubbed his sons back. "Also as we were leaving he grabbed my arm kind of rough and squeezed it." He stopped moving and I shurgged. "Don't say a God damn word to Logan either but this kid was looking weird at him. Like he was devouring him or something." James rolled his eyes and looked straight ahead at the wall in my garage sighing out.

"I am going to assume he wont tell me a word of it either. But now that I know, i'm going to watch out for him." I nodded and started to stand myself back up just as a pair of fotosteps came into the garage. I turned to Kendall who was actually pretty soaking wet. I shook my head seeing his sculpted chest and a few abs being exposed through the thin white shirt and let him walk into me.

"Thanks for all the help with all those groceries guys." He kissed my forhead and I laughed wrapping an arm wound his waist.

"Sorry man...Jules was just telling me about..." I gave James a pleading look and shook my head softly. We locked eyes. "Telling me about how Sammy had started to feel better but he's looking a little sick again. She was gonna grab me a bottle of water for him, for the trip back home." I nodded quick and walked to the small fridge under some cupboards and grabbed a water bottle. I gently handed it to James and he smirked putting Sammy further up on his body sighing out. "Well from what Kendall was saying it's about to get really fucking gross in this house so were gonna go." I hit Kendall's stomach as he smirked but flipped off his best friend. James said goodbye to us and walked out of the garage. I turned my whole attention to Kendall who was sitting on the edge of his bench arms crossed over his chest. He gave me a stupid look and I shook my head.

"So." He laughed looking down and I started to take tiny steps towards him. "What corner should we start in?"


	9. Chapter 9: Soulmates

**Max's P.O.V.**

 **(I don't think I've done a p.o.v. of Max yet but it's gotta happen.)**

I loved hearing my parents flirt with each other. I know it seems weird. Most kid are grossed out by it. But I've seen the shit my parents have gone through and I've heard the fights and the horrible things they've said to each other. I know what it looks like to see them at thier lows. So to see them at thier highs was something I would love to see every secodn of every day. I loved, also, because of my injury I wasn't allowed to do much. Like put groceries away. So with my love of seeing my parents happy, and not having to do anything, I felt really good sitting at the kitchen island drinking my soda and eating my skittels. "Kendall stop it!" I smirked seeing my mom swat my dads hands away from her body as she stood on the step ladder in our pantry putting things away. My dad turned around and gave me a stupid grin bending down to more groceries. "Max i'm not going to keep buying these stupid protein mixes anymore if you're just going to let them sit up here where no one can reach them."

"Well actually I can reach them. So can dad. Just not you mom." My dad snicekered as my mom glanced back at me giving me a death glare. "Thanks for getting them though. I'll start drinking them when I go to physical therapy." She only nodded stepping off the ladder and shoved my dad to the side making him slap her butt. I rolled my eyes looking back down to my phone hearing them giggle at each other and took a sip of my drink. I checked the time on my phone and felt the butterflies in my stomach knowing any minute Emily was going to be coming over to give me homework and hoepfully make out. I glanced back up to see my mom standing in front of the fridge putting a gallon of milk inside and I frowned. "Can I ask you guys something?" My dad leaned agaisnt the sink and nodded opening up another beer. "When did you guys use the L word?" My mom slammed the fridge hard and turned to me wide eyed. I smiled small and shook my head raising a hand. "I'm just curious. You guys have been together for what...like 100 years?"

"Give or take a few." My dad gave me a dirty look but I laughed him off. "Your mom and I have been in love since the moment I saw her. I approached her at the bar she was sitting at, alone and asked her to dance. She is a horrible dancer and kept stepping on my toes but I still fell for her." My mom snorted taking my dads beer and smiled big at me.

"Don't forget the part of that cute story where you broke my actual dates nose, and threw him in jail for the night so you could make your move." My mouth fell open and my dad shrugged pulling my mom into his side. "As hard as this is for your dad to hear I didn't fall in love with him in one night. It took some time for me to understand he is a stubborn asshole who usually uses his fist to solve prolems and I eaither accteped that about him or move on." My mom stopped and looked up at my dad who was smilin small down at her. "A year after he asked me to dance in that gross dingy bar, I said yes to marrying him and 25 years later, here we are." I smiled small and cleared my throat getting them both to look at me.

"Do you think everyone on Earth has a soulmate?" My mom frowned pulling away from my dad and walked around the island sitting down next to me on a bar stool. I let her pull me into her and closed my eyes as she rubbed my back and kissed my head.

"I do think everyone has a soulmate. And i love that you are so happy with Emily. She is such a good girl...and she makes you happy." I opened my eyes seeing my dad staring down at us, and smiiled small. "You do whatever your heart tells you baby. If you want to say the L word to her go for it. Your heart is never wrong." I opened my mouth to answer her, and tell her that was what i was going to do but got cut off. There were soft knocks at the front door that made my mom slide off her stool and go out inot the livign room. I looked to my dad and he smirked grabbing his beer and a bag of chips off the counter. He winked and walked out of the kitchen just as my mom walked in, arms linked with Emily who was smiling small. "Since you have school work, why don't you guys stay in here where there is more ocunter space." Emily nodded slowly and took the seat next to me as my mom walked to the fridge. "You're dad and I will be out in the living room. Make yourself at home sweetheart and let me know if you're going to be staying for dinner." My mom grabbed herself a beer before shutting the door and walking out, smiling big at us. As soon as she was gone I turned my full attention to Emily who wasn't looking at me, or even facing me. I frowned as she shuffeled thoruhg her black messenger bag bitting her bottom lip.

"Are you alright?" I reached out and pushed hair out of her face making her scoot back and clear her throat. I dropped my hand to my lap and watched as she put a bunch of books, and yellow folders on the counter in front of us.

"I need to tell you something Max." She set her bag on the ground by our feet and turned to me. Her eyes were glistening. She was fiddeling with the pen in her hands, never once taking her eyes off me. "I messed up Max and it's been killing me inside knowing I have to tell you, but not knowing how." I slouched a bit and nodded, encouriging her. "Do you remember that day you freaked out when you saw me with that new kid Austin?" I slowly sat myself up straight and felt a weird tug in my stomach watching the first few tears fall out of her eyes. "I lied to you. He wasn't just a friend. We...we hooked up a couple times." I felt my mouth part slightly just as she put both her hands on my arms. "I promise you Max it meant nothing and I haven't been with him since. And i'm never going to be with him again. I want to be with you and I lo-"

"Get out." She stopped and i felt my anger raising inside me. I shoved her hands off my arms and she gasped out sliding off her stool. "How could you do that to me?!" I didn't mean to yell but my emotions were getting the best of me. "You told me you were just showing him around town because he was new! You lied to me! You cheated on me! After three years of us being together and you threw it all away!"

"Baby I love you though. I want to be with you and only you. I know that now!" I got off my stool ignoring the pain shooting up and down my side as I started to walk. She got in front of me and held my arms makign me stop. "I'm sorry Max! I messed up! And I'm going to make it up to you! Please give me another chance! I love you Max!" I saw over her head my parents standing in the door way and something snapped. I roughly, and very aggressively shoved Emily off of me. She stumbeled back, but before she fell on the floor my dad caught her.

"Get out! I don't want to see you again!" Emily sobbed out and grabbed her bag on the floor turning. My mom flattened against the wall as Emily rushed past her and my dad watched her leave. My mom turned to me, and I felt the first tears start to fall out of my eyes. She took a step towards me but I turned quick and shoved all the books and papers off the counter. Some knocked over my soda and it spilled everywhere. I looked down at the mess I made as a sob ripped out of my throat making me squeeze my eyes shut hard. I felt a hand on my shoulder and shoved it off. However because of my pain in my side, and the fact that I felt like someone ripped my heart out of my chest, I didn't have the strength to fight it anymore. i was turned and pulled into my dads arms. I wrapped around him tight and cried openly on his chest keeping my eyes shut hard. One of his hands held the back of my head while the other rubbed my back. I let out another cry but not as loud as the first.

"I'm so sorry Max. I am so sorry buddy." His soothing voice sort of helped me calm down. In fact it made me feel really, realy calm. Like I was going to fall asleep.

"Oh my God Kendall." I pulled away from my dad hearing my moms worried voice. I felt something cold on my side and looked down fast. Through my plain grey shirt i could see a trickle of blood comign through, slowly turning into a huge stain.

"He must have opened his stiches. Call an ambulance Jules." I looked back up to my dad and felt more tears coming out of my eyes. My knees were shaking and I felt like I was going to throw up. "Max keep your eyes open buddy, okay? Just keep lookign at me." I nodded and started to feel my weight giving out from under me. As I started to fall, my dad catching me, my eyes started to close. The last thing I remember seeing was Emily smiling at me.


	10. Chapter 10: Don't Want To Miss A Thing

**Kendall's P.O.V.**

The soft warm hand in mine would occasionally squeeze every now and then making me look over to her. She was flipping through a magazine legs crossed over each other, staying realatively silent. I was worried about her and her current state of mind but said nothing. I never really got in the way of her turning into momma bear. Most times when she did, she was in the right. And only if someone tried to shove back, I would intervene. Those times were rare. "Ken?" I focused my vision back to Juliet who was letting my hand go and standing herself up. I frowned reaching out to her hand to get her to relax but she nodded behind me. I stood up fast and turned seeing two people walking towards me that on any other day would have made me happy. But now all I worried about was who was going to say the wrong thing first.

Logan stopped in front of me with James standing right beside him. I tensed up seeing Juliet trying to walk in front of me but I grabbed her arm and kept her beside me. Logan softly cleared his throat avoiding eye contact with Juliet and crossed his arms over his chest. "Max got his stiches put back in. He's doing really good and can leave in a few minutes." I nodded slowly feeling reliefe leave me just as Juliet spoke up.

"And his doctors can't tell us this why?" I moved my arm around her quick and pulled her into me kissing the top of her head.

"Take it easy." I whispered it into her hair but she wiggeled away from me.

"I don't know if anyone told you two but it is because of your daughter my son got himself hurt." Before either James or myself could stop him, Logan took a few steps forward.

"Your son lost his cool. She did nothing wrong." Juliet laughed loudly and also took a step forward.

"DId nothing wrong? Emily cheated on Max! She broke his heart!" Logan seemed to deflate hearing it and started to turn to James who had a hand on his shoulder. "Of course who really is at fault here? She must be seeing great shinning examples of morals from her parents." I sort of roughly pulled Juliet back and stood in front of her as Logan turned back to us.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean Juliet? My daughter made a mistake and feels horrible about it. Please don't get me started on the great things Max has been doing!" I frowned at Logan and glanced over to James who sighed out and grabbed Logan. However, Logan shoved him off and pushed me aside. "Maybe she picked up some bad habits from being over at your house. Lord knows she must have picked up some pointers of fucking around from Kendall. Or do you two just pretend like he didn't do anything at all? How is that therapy coming along?" This time I knew that dig was at me and on instinct shoved Logan back. He shook his head and looked at me as James put his hand on my chest.

"Everyone cool the hell down. Let's remember that this is our kids life not ours. Juliet, I am sorry Emily hurt Max. And I'm sorry he hurt himself. But she is just a child. And were all adults. Let's start fucking acting like it." I breathed out hard and turned to see Juliet glaring at James, breathing hard.

"If your daughter comes around my son ever again I will not be nice. And if you two have a problem with it stay the hell away form me." I tried to grab her before she left but she yanked out of my grasp storming off.

"Jules." I tried to yell after her but she disappeared out some double doors making me turn to the two in front of me fast. "Seriously Logan?"

"Fuck you Kendall. of all people to feel the need to judge my daughter you are the worst." I rolled my eyes and moved back to my chair. I sat down hard sinking down and put my head in my hand closing my eyes. "All I wanted to do was check on him. And let you guys know he was doing okay." I heard someone sit down next to me but was too irritated to look up and care. "James...let's just go. He doesn't care so I don't either." I opened my eyes fast and looked to my right to see James sitting next to me, looking at his phone. "James?" James looked up fast and quickly pulled his car keys out of his pocket and tossed them up to Logan. Logan caught them, mouth agape and I sat up looking between the two. "You're a fucking asshole." Logan spun quick and stormed out of the waiting room shoving the door open hard. I swallowed just as hard and looked away as soon as he turned to me. We stayed quiet, me having no idea what was going through his head. I thought to myself that I should probably go find Juliet soon but felt like talking to James about the whole situation. I turned to look at him and saw he was staring at me. I smirked looking away and smiled at a pretty nurse walking by.

"Look, James..."

"She told us yesterday that she cheated. We convinced her to tell Max because it wasn't fair to him. She was devestated with what she did but..." He stopped and we locked eyes. "I'm sorry. I never ever thought my daughter would turn into this...this free spirit who defies our orders, sneaks out...gets caught at a party drinking a wine cooler." I smriked looking away and knew Max was at the same party and probaby got in as much trouble as Emily. "I don't understand the line between being a good dad and a good father." I slowly turned back to him and he shook his head. "Does that make sense?" I laughed and nodded looking back ahead of me.

"Just last week Juliet found weed in Max's backpack. I wanted to be so mad at him James, mostly because I'm the captain of a police station but then I remember our first year in Basic training and how high we always were." James laughed beside me and I chuckled with him relaxing a little bit. "I don't hate Emily. And neither does Juliet. It just probably wasn't the best time to confess to cheating. With his bullet wound and all." I looked down in my lap and shook my head softly. "How long has Logan been holding that shit in about me cheating?"

"He hasn't Kendall. He just felt cornered. You know you're like a brother to him." I shook my head but he continued. "Logan and Juliet are best friends dude. When they fight of course they are going to say nasty shit to break each other but..." He stopped suddenly and perked up in his chair. I frowned and followed where his gaze was set on. It was a group of doctors walking out of the double doors Juliet just went out. One of them, a tall sort of good looking young guy seperated from the group and walked to one of the vending machines. "Give me one sec Kendall." James stood up and walked towards the doctor by the vending machine putting his phone in his pocket. I slowly started to stand myself up to follow him to ask what was wrong, but out of the corner of my eye I saw my son walking out from the ER doors, holding a water bottle, walking with his doctor. I turned to him quick and met them both halfway there.

"Mr. Knight. I hope you know this son of yours is a tough kid." I smirked seeing Max blush, but even behind the blush I could see the pain he still felt. And not about the stiches in his side. "I heard he is going to start physical therapy next Monday." I nodded letting Max stand beside me, sort of leaning into me. "I'm going to put in a suggestion that we push it back one more day, and instead of taking the stiches out on Sunday, we'll move it to Monday. Then on Tuesday you can start your therapy. Hopefully get you out on the feild again." I laughed and so did Max, but we both knew Juliet wasn't going to let that happen any time soon.

"Thank you Dr. Brown." He smiled very kindly and shook my out stretched hand. When we let go Max shook his hand too, but looked to me with really heavy eyes. "I'm gonna get him home to rest."

"Good! Drive home safe guys. Hope I don't have to see you again until Monday Max." Max chuckled and nodded, but turned away from the doctor. I turned with him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and walked at the slow speed he was walking.

"Where's mom?" Before I could answer, James walked right up to us. Max stopped short making both James and Max stare at each other in an awkward state. I sighed out and pulled Max closer to me.

"I'm gonna get him home. I'll talk to you later James." James only nodded putting his hands in his jean pockets. I felt a little bad, because James always had a good relationship with Max, but since his daughter cheated on Max, I doubt it would be the same.

I walked Max all the way down to the first floor, where I wasn't surprised to see Juliet sitting in one of the chairs in the lobby, by herself. As soon as she saw us, she took Max in her arms and held him. It was like, as soon as he was in his mothers arms, he fell apart. He cried quietly on her as she walked them out. I put my sweater over Juliet as they waited out in the cold, windy rain and I got the car. Because he came to the hospital in an ambulance, and Juliet insisted she drive with them, I took my truck. Which was a little high for my 5 foot 6 wife, and son who was as tall as me, but wounded, and I hated myself as I helped Max get in the backseat. He was a wreck. He was sobbing now and because of it, Juliet climbed in the back with him and let him lay his head on her lap as he continued to cry. I kept the radio off, put the heat on high and let my sons sad, painful cries make me concentrate on the road to our house.

I didn't have to carry Max inside like the first time he came home from the hospital but he struggeled climbing the stairs with his mother. I let her take him. She knew exactly what to do to make him feel better. I waited until I couldn't see them anymore and walked into the kitchen. Max's school work and spilled soda were still everywhere. Half the papers were soaked in brown liquid while the other half were either tearing or torn. I pushed the sleeves up on my plain black shirt and sighed out. I tried so hard to save some of the papers but it was no use. I threw them all away and made a mental note to go to his classes tomorrow and just pick up the work for the rest of the week. I wiped the floor with our electric mop and just as I was about to go over another stain, I stopped. It wasn't soda. It was blood. I felt my throat swell as I went to my knees grabbing a clorox wipe as I went and started to scrub the dried blood up. I was so into my cleaning, even after I cleaned the floor, I didn't realize how much time had passed. That is until Juliet appeared behind me putting her arms around my waist as I washed dishes. I felt soft little pecks to my shoulder blades. It made me smile. "How's he doing?"

"He's so heartbroken Kendall. He doesn't understand why someone who says they love them, would hurt them." I closed my eyes feeling her lay her cheek on my back squeezing me softly. "I told him I don't know why someone would do that either. But..." She paused and I opened my eyes turning the water off, filling the kitchen with silence. Until she spoke. "I told him that as bad as it hurts now...it gets better. The things that hurt now, with time, disappear. I told him love isn't easy and no one gets a manual on how to deal with heartache. Which means some people deal with it differently. And then he asked me how I could have stayed with you after you..." She trailed off and my heart snapped. "I told him it was really simple." I turned in her arms leaning back against the sink seeing tears form in the corner of my eyes. She was also crying but had a smile pulling on her lips. "I love you. And I know you love me." I reached up quick to wipe away her tears, just as she wiped at mine. "I know you're probably pissed off I talk to Logan about us but sometimes..."

"You don't need to explain yourself to me." She looked down, keeping her hands on my face and I shook my head. "I feel like I can't talk to him about this. I know he resents me." She frowned pushing her body into mine. "Jules ever since he started building muscel he's been protective of you. Even against me. How do I tell him to not lose hope on love when I almost destroyed mine?" She wiped one last tear off my face and got on tippy toes.

"You tell him you love him and will be there for him for whatever he needs. That's all he needs to hear from you and I right now." I nodded dropping my hands to her lower back and locked my fingers together sighing out. "With time he'll come back around."

I believed she was right.

For the following few days, however, it didn't seem to be getting better. Each morning Juliet and I would check on him in his room, but it was always the same. He was under his covers watching a mind numbing cartoon on his flat screen. We'd offer him food, but he declined. We'd leave him alone. Throughout the day we'd periodcily continue to check up on him but it was the same thing. Still under the blankets, only eating food we had to physically put in front of him. We were both worried because the days started to blend together. As hurt and heartbroken as he was, I felt like my relationship with Juliet was starting to get better. Every night we were having sex. And not just regular sex. We were making love. If we could, we would be making a couple of babies. But the sex wasn't the only great thing happening. Because we both were off work for a while, we were starting to talk to each other again. And not about our jobs. About each other. How much traveling we'd be doing once we retiered. It almost felt like I was falling in love with her all over again.

We let Max sulk and be by himself for 5 days. By Saturday my worries got the best of me and I told Juliet I was going to take him out. Let him pick what we did. She thought it was a great idea, so while she went into her home office, to look over some emails, I went up to his room and walked in. This morning was different than the last few ones. For one, his blinds were wide open. I stopped in the doorway seeing him sitting at his computer desk, his feet up on it while he strummed on his guitar. I knocked gently on his door making him spin to me fast. He lowered the guitar and stood up putting his guitar on the desk. What really got me however was his entire room...was clean. His bed was made with what looked like clean sheets. His laundry his mom did for him, was folded and put away. He had a stack of I had to assume completed school work on his desk and had a fan circulating in the corner, probably to air out the depression. I opened my mouth but closed it quick watching him walk to me. He was jsut out of a shower. He was only in a pair of basketball shorts with no shirt, showing off his line of stiches. "Hey dad." I looked up at his face and smiled at him. "I was just going to come get you guys. I know...mom had asked me to clean my room a long time ago but..." He stopped and shrugged looking around. "I know I haven't really seen you guys lately..."

"Don't worry about it buddy." He turned back to me and I set a hand on his shoulder, squeezing softly. "I wanted to come check up on you...wanted to see if you wanted to go out today. Do something." He crossed his arms over his chest and shrugged lightly. "I already got the okay from your mom. Whatever you wanna do, we'll do. No matter if it starts raining." He laughed quietly and turned, wlaking to his closet. He opened it, showing me the clean and organized space, but bent slightly grabbing something on the ground. When he turned to me, football raised I chuckled and put my hands in my jean pockets. "Park?" He nodded grinning big and I nodded back. "Get dressed and well go now before it gets too nasty out there." He nodded faster this time and turned back to his closet.

I walked back downstairs directly into Juliets office and leaned in the doorway. She smiled up at me over her computer screen and pushed up the glasses on her nose. "When we leave, you should see your sons room." She frowned sitting back but I laughed. "He actually cleaned it Jules." She raised her eyebrows, both of us laughing together. "We're gonna go toss the football around down at the park for a bit. It's what he wanted to do." She sighed but nodded standing up. Just as she grabbed her mug full of steaming tea, frantic knocks came from our front door. I turned quick and walked out of her office, just as Max came bouncing down the stairs. He had changed into sweats and a sweater, with some Nikes, but gave me a concerned look as I pulled the door open. Before I could say anything, Logan's small frightened voice made me freeze.

"Is Emily here?" We locked eyes but I shook my head. He closed his eyes tight and turned letting James hold him as he approached the door.

"What's going on?" James sighed out holding onto Logan who was now crying quietly.

"Emily didn't come home last night. She sent us a text at about 11, saying not to wait up, she was almost home. And then she never showed up." I felt someone scoot past me but I felt like my gut got punched hard. "We've tried calling her, texting her but she's not answering us. We've tried a few of her girlfriends, but no one has seen her." I saw Max tense up, standing next to me and gripped his shoulder.

"Have you called the cops?" James shook his head running his fingers through Logan's messy hair. "Okay...come inside. I'll make some calls."


	11. Chapter 11: Found

**Juliet's P.O.V.**

Just a few more dunks of this tea bag into the hot water and I was going to eventually have to face my...face Logan. I didn't want to, but I wanted to. He was a wreck. Not that I blamed him. I don't want to know how I'd react to finding out Max never came home and was no where to be found. But wanting to be the shoulder for the man who not 5 days ago I was having a nasty conversation with, without holding back, was making me a little nervous. I just knew he'd do the same thing for me if the roles were reversed. So my soft sigh I let out as I headed out of the kitchen, throwing the tea bag away as I went gave me a much needed burst to go out to him.

I ignored the four uniformed cops standing around my dining room table, looking down at a map of the city, with Carlos pointing to something. I ignroed the two more cops sitting on our loveseat, looking rather useless at the moment, and went straight to Logan and James. They were sitting on the couch, with Kendall beside James, and Max sitting on the arm rest beside his dad. I swallowed hard as I approached Logan who was leaning forward, his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. James had one hand rubbing up and down Logan's back, soothingly, while the other hand held up his cell phone waiting for a call, no one knew would even come in. As I sat next to Logan, his head raised and he looked at me. I literally felt my heart snap in my chest. Logan's eyes were red, and dry looking. He probably had cried all the tears out of his body and now his eyes were just raw and red. I extended the tea too him, making him smile small, and take it with one hand. The other hand wiped at his nose and he closed his eyes taking a sip of his tea. "She doesn't have any problems with anyone at school?" I looked over to my husband who was furiously writing down a desription of Emily and her car.

"Not that we know of. Emily is a great kid. She literally is nice to everyone." I bit my tounge at James's comment, not wanting to make Logan feel worse. James sat back a little and put his head back.

"And the last place she was last night?"

"At her girlfriends, Mandy. I already talked to her mom. She said Emily left at about 10:45 last night after the girls finished thier history assignment." Kendall nodded as he slowly stood himself up, still writing. Just as he was completly up, Carlos walked out, with all four cops behind him.

"Okay...I got ahold of search and rescue. We're going to start combing through the hills surrounding town. I have a few units heading out right now, and the rest are going to start at the lake." Kendall and Carlos looked at each other, while Carlos handed a peice of paper to one of the cops heading to the front door of my house. Kendall then handed the paper he's been writing on to another one and stopped him from leaving.

"Alert with a 10-57, priority." The officer nodded and the rest of them all walked out, including the two on my loveseat. When the front door shut James stood himself up and cleared his throat.

"I'm going to go out and look too. I need to find my little girl." My heart broke again and Kendall slowly nodded.

"Yeah, I understand. But I don't want you going alone. Incase something has happened to her." The whole house went quiet and I stood up giving Kendall a stupid look. He moved past me and turned to Carlos. "I think to cover more ground we should both go out. One of us ride with James." Carlos nodded and looked to James smiling. Logan shot up fast.

"I'm coming. I want to look too."

"Me too." We all turned to Max who walked inbetween his dad and his Uncle Carlos and shrugged. "I want to help." Kendall grabbed the back of his neck and nodded turning to me.

"How about one of you go with Max and I, whiel the other goes with Carlos."

"I'll drive with Carlos too." Kendall gave me a little smile, silently telling me thank you, and I nodded.

"I'll drive with you guys." James nodded to Carlos who nodded back and pulled out his car keys. "I know this sounds stupid but there is this little fishing hole we used to take her too before she got in high school. She loves to take pictures up there. Maybe we could check there?" Carlos nodded and I stepped around my coffee table, going right to Max. But my hand was grabbed and pulled gently. I turned just to have Logan pull me in and hug me tight putting his lips by my ear.

"Thank you for being here." He let me go quick and walked over to the front door pulling his coat on. I couldn't help my smile as I walked to Max, and not caring people were looking at us I put both hands on his face and kissed his forehead.

"She's gonna be found." I whsipered it so only he could here, and all he did was nod. Kendall kissed my right temple as he handed me my coat and turned to Carlos.

"Were gonna go drive around the school and then go to the west side." I saw Logan cringe hearing that, but didn't approach him. Just because he thanked me for being there, and I made him tea, didn't mean we were back on good terms.

James let me sit up in the front seat of Carlos's SUV, while he got in the back and gave directions to the fishing hole. I felt disguested with the idea that something had happened to Emily. After being married to a cop for as long as I have, I knew jumping to the worst conclussion was sometimes the best. The impact of finding someone dead or seriously hurt, isn't as bad as if you kept your hopes high. It was a sick thought but a thought that was necessary. I don't think anyone in this family, including the ones who I fought with at the hospital, would be able to move on if something happened to Emily. All I could think about was the day she was born and how happy Logan and James were. I could remember the day she rode her bike all the way over to my house, crying because she got her period and thought she was dying. I remember the first dance Max and her went to, and designing and making her dress for her, by hand. This little girl had such a huge impact on my life, it very well might kill me if something has happened to her. "Right up here on the left, is the turn in." I snapped out of my sad thoughts seeing Carlos pulling donw a dirt road turning on his headlights. The trees looked thicker as you got further in, and it worried me.

"Will you check in the back for me James? I think I have a first aid kit and a few flashlights." My stomach turned as I looked back and watched James lean his long body over the seat and start digging through Carlos's stuff. "Jules...in the glove compartment should be another flash light too." I quickly reached in and pulled a long black flashlight out. I went to hand it to him, but he put up a hand. "You can use that one." I nodded putting it in my lap and rolled down my window letting the cold fall air, whip around me. It worried me, because if Emily had been out here all night, she would have been freezing. It was barely noon rigth now, and only 38 degrees out. "Holy shit..." I looked over to Carlos concerned, as James leaned forward between us. "Is that her car?" I snapped my head to the front windshield quick and sat up straight. Parked between two huge trees was the tiny red VW Beetle her dads bought for her, on her 16th birthday. I unsnapped my seatbelt and waited very impatiently as Carlos parked his car next to it. We all jumped out at the same time and ran to the car. I turned on my flashlight and somehow felt worse looking inside. It was empty.

"Emily!" James's loud booming voice echoed in my head and before Carlos could stop him, James was running.

"James wait!" I sighed out and started to take after him ignoring Carlos trying to stop me too. "Jules...James..." Carlos voice died out rather quickly and it made me slow down. I still saw James running through the trees but looked over my shoulder. We were already in the thick of the trees which meant even if Emily was calling for us, for anyone, the chance of her being heard was slim.

"Emily!" I looked back to see James slowing down and picked my speed back up heading right to him. He dropped to his knees and I picked up speed thinking of the worst. However, as I got next to him, and shinned my light on what he was in front of, I sighed out. It looked like it was Emily's coat. Not a good sign. "Emily!" He shouted once more and I set a hand on his shoulder.

"Wait here for Carlos. I'm going to go look further down by that creek." He picked the coat up and squeezed onto it standing up. I turned and took in a deep breath as I started to walk towards the sound of the running water. I knew it probably wasn't the greatest idea to go by myself but if we found her seriously hurt or dead, James would loose it.

I'm a pretty big clutz so as I approached the small cliff I slowed down and checked my surroundings. There was nothing else around me, like her phone, or even her and I braced myself. I took one step forward and heard a stick break under my foot. I gripped onto my flashlight and moved my other foot closer to the one right on the cliff edge. The cliff wasn't higher than 15 feet but still percarious. As soon as my foot got next to the other one, the solid ground I thought I was on, fell out underneath me, and I fell. I caught myself with my hands, which hurt, but it was nothing on the fact that the lower half of my body was sliding off the cliff. I tried to grab onto anything around me, so I didn't fall, but there was nothing solid. My flashlight slipped out of my hand and as I rolled off the cliff, I fell hard.

As soon as my back hit the ground I let out a loud ooff and rolled onto my side. I thankfully didn't hurt my head, but my wrists stung from trying to catch myself and so did my back. I rolled over compeltly onto my stomach and pushed myself up on my knees quickly rubbing my back as best as I could. I groaned as I glanced around the dark area around me and stopped on my flashlight a few feet away from me. I groaned and grunted as I crawled to it hating that the jeans I was wearing had holes in the knees and a few on the thighs. Not ideal for fall in Minnesota. As soon as I got my flashlight I spun it, shinning the light on the trees across the creek and started to stand myself up. As I did, the light went with me and something across the small creek caught my eyes. I froze seeing a curled up body lying under a short tree, not moving. I snapped my body up quick and took a few steps forward. "Emily! Sweetheart is that you?" The body didn't move and I took a few more steps. I walked into the creek and gasped at the coldness. I looked down at the shollow water and took in a deep breath. I walked some more through the cold water and kept the light on the body. "Emily! It's Juliet! Can you hear me?" Very faintly I saw movement and felt tears falling out of my eyes. As I got closer to her slow moving body, I ignored the water now at my knees and picked up my speed. I was shivering I knew that, but by the time i got to the shore, Emily was rolling on her back. I let out a little sob as I fell to my knees by her body and pulled my jacket off. "Emily..." Her eyes fluttered open and I sobbed out again. As I laid my jacket on her, I saw her left foot bare. She was missing a shoe. "Baby girl, what happaned?"I quickly reached down, one arm under her knees, the other under her back. One of her arms reached up and wrapped around my neck. She was shivering. I closed my eyes hard and slowly moved her body up on mine. She wasn't a very big girl, height or weight wise thanks to Logan, so she wasn't hard to lift up. But as soon as I stood up straight, I felt a horrible pain in my lower back and let out another sob. "James?! Carlos?!" Emily cried onto my chest and I adjusted her, opening my eyes. "What happened Emily? Why didn't you come straight home?" She cried again and I slowly started to walk myself.

"I left...left Mandy's house. I was...was meeting up with Austin here." I pulled her harder into me feeling her entire body shake from the cold. "We...we were talking in his car, and a group of his friends showed up. They said they were camping out here and had a fire going." I shook my head knowing in this part of the forest, fires of any kind were prohibited. "But someone...I think a cop knew we were out here. He came up behind us, and everyone split." I nodded hearing something like running footsteps and gently kissed into her hair. "I tripped. I fell down that hill over there. Everyone left me." She sobbed out again and in a second, my fear was replaced with rage. "I think my ankle got twisted in a branch because it hurts. And I lost my shoe." I nodded seeing the back and forth of a light, hoepfully James and Carlos and rubbed her leg with my hand as best as I could.

"Are you hurt any other way?" I turned us and because I had already walked through the stream, I trugged through, going to the short end of the small cliff. As I started to walk up the tiny hill, I swallowed hard seeing two bodies coming towards us.

"No. I slept on the ground though. i don't know where my coat is. I'm so cold." I nodded, pushing her up on me some more just as I heard Carlos's voice.

"Juliet?!" I raised my head up and stopped walking seeing James running in front of Carlos.

"Emily!" Emily turned her head as James ran into us, putting his arms under his daughter. I gratefully let him take her but pushed hair out of her face, to make sure she didn't have any wounds on her face. "Baby..." James was crying as he pulled her up and shoved his face into her neck. She threw her arms around his head and cried out, shivering even more.

"Jules...what happened to you?" As soon as Carlos got next to me, i put my hands on him and let him hold me up, pushing hair out my face.

"I fell off that cliff. I'm alright. I caught myself with my wrists. They burn. And then I slid off onto my back." He pulled me in quick and made me wrap an arm around his neck. He started to walk me behind James and Emily and I shamelessly let him basically carry me. "A group of kids left her out here last night when the cops showed up." He sighed out loudly and gripped my side.

We walked slowly back to the cars, and by the time we did, two squade cars were there, along with an ambulance. Carlos walked me back to his car and helped me in the passenger seat. I watched James set Emily on a gurney and let out a soft sigh. I heard her explicity say she did not want to go to the hospital and as she started to argue with her father, a truck I knew all to well pulled up. I watched Logan jump out of the passenger side before the engine was killed. I stayed seated, loving the hot air form Carlos's car cover me and laid my head on the rest ignoring the screams from both wrists, and back. "Mom?" I smiled at Max and Kendall approaching me. "Carlos said you were the one to find her." I nodded and let him walk right up to me. Kendall and Carlos got right behind him and before I could beg Carlos not to say anything he opened his mouth.

"Yeah. After she fell off a cliff, and walked through a near frozen creek." I shot him a dirty look as Kendall gently pulled Max back and got in my face. Before I could object, a fliashlight was in my eyes, slowly going back and forth. "I know she has a concussion. When we got to them, her pupils were super dialated." The light was gone and I blinked a couple times before staring up at Kendall.

"She said Austin and his friends were who she was with. They got scared off by the cops, and she fell, and they left her."

"What?" I heard my son's voice, but only saw Kendall. "I'm going to kill him." Kendall quickly kissed my forehead before turning to our son, but he never got the chance to lay into him.

"Get in line." I peered around Kendall putting my head on his arm feeling a horrible knot form just above my butt. Logan was lookign at us, James right behind him. "Can these guys get thrown in prision or something?" Carlos laughed and patted his shoulder walking away towards the ambulance.

"Loges...I know you're pissed off. But technically those kids didn't do anything to her. They are little pricks but I can't do anything to them." I shook my head and closed my eyes, wanting nothing more than to fall fast asleep in our huge warm bed. "Go with your daughter and make sure she's okay. I'm going to get her home and I'll come check up on you guys later today." I heard James and Logan quietly say okay and opened my eyes to watch them walk away. As soon as they climbed into the back of the ambulance I tugged on Kendall's arm and he turned to me. i raised my arms and he laughed quietly taking my hint. He picked me up from the seat and effortlessly carried me, bridal style, to his truck. "You're in so much trouble little girl." I laughed putting my head in the crook of his neck just as he opened the back door of his truck and started to slid me in.


	12. Chapter 12: Jerk

**Logan's P.O.V.**

I guess i've never really had to experieance what it's like to have your child in the hosptial for a serious injury. Like a broken bone. I hated it. I hated being the worried, stressed out parent listening to a doctor tell me what happened. Emily's ER doctor was a long time co-worker, who I trusted, but again...this is my child. I felt like a wreck, which I knew I was. I probably looked insane. I know I felt it.

The only upside to all of it was that I was actually looking down at her. I had her tiny hand in mine and she was talking. She was relatively okay. Besides the broken ankle, she was unharmed. It took a while for her to get a normal body tempature since she was out in 30 degree weather all night, but she was fine. She ate two helpings of lunch, again because she was out in the wilderness since about 11 at night to about 1 in the afternoon. I never left her side since she got inside the hospital, and wasn't going to leave her side until she was home, tucked in her bed, sound asleep. "Poppa?" I snapped out of my thoughts looking into the eyes of my first child, and smiled. "Do I get to go home soon?" I gently leaned forward on her bed raising her hand and kissing her fingers, closing my eyes. "I just really want to take a shower." I nodded opening my eyes and looked out at the busy ER hallway just outside our curtained off section.

"Your dad is filling out some paperwork. And Doctor Jones wants to check your cast one last time and then we can leave." I looked back to see her nod and close her eyes laying back. Her other arm drapped over her slim stomach. I opened my mouth to say something else to her but didn't. I knew James was pissed off, for alot of reasons, but the main one was Emily lied to us last night which resulted in her being hurt. He was fuming when I finally pulled him aside and made him hug me, to tell me our little girl was safe. He told me, wether I agreed or not, she was getting grounded. I thought that was a little messed up since she has a broken ankle and all, but didn't argue with him on it. I was going to leave the arguing for her and her dad.

"As long as she uses the crutches she'll be fine." I stood up quick seeing Doctor Jones and James walk in the room together, James holding paperwork and the doctor holding crutches. "Okay Miss. Emily. Let's have a look at that foot." I pushed hair off her face and watched her pull the blanket off her body, cheeks flushing red. My daughter was like me. She didn't like any kind of attention involving her well being. She didn't want all these people to see her hurt. She hated strangers looking at her, and feeling bad for her. Just like me. "That cast set really nice. Which means these are going to be alot easier to use." Doctor Jones, or as I knew him Chris, took the plastic off the brand new crutches and threw the plastic away looking at me. "James told me the stairs are going to be an issue since she's prone to tripping over air." My daughters head went back and she groaned covering her face. I couldn't help my smile seeing James grin, knowing how embarrassed our oldest daughter was.

James and I sat back and watched Chris show Emily everything about her crutches. He adjusted the height for her and after having James and I sign some paperwork, he released her from the ER. Like Carlos said he would be, he was sitting out in the waiting room looking through a magazine. He left as soon as he saw us, and once we walked outside with Emily, James giving her his grey hoodie, Carlos had his car pulled up by the doors. We helped Emily get in the front with Carlos who had the heat on full blast and I climbed in the back with James. Immedietly I put my head on his shoulder and held around his arm looking up at her. She was talking with Carlos about the latest music she's been listening to since he was a huge music head. I mostly blocked them out letting James's faint heartbeat comfort me. The fact that his soft huge hand was rubbing on my thigh helped greatly.

I guess I'm nto the greatest parent alive, Emily exhibit A, but when we pulled into the driveway of our home, a thought dawned on me. "Sammy...Jessie." I looked up and over at James who smirked and leaned down kissing my lips, taking off his seatbelt.

"Took care of it." I frowned taking off my own seatbelt and quickly slid out of my seat, pushing my door open. I went right to Emily's door and held it open as she stepped out. James appeared beside us and put her crutches under her arms. "Well technically Kendall and Juliet took care of it. When they got home today Juliet had a gut feeling about the two. I told Jessie to take Sammy over to the neighbors before we left and she did but Juliet...you know. She's a mom. Wanted to be there for the kids." I nodded watching Emily slowly walk towards the front door which was open. Juliet was standing in the doorway, a dish towel over her shoulder, and a huge smile on her face. I walked behind James, who was walking behind Emily, and felt my stomach turn. Since our fight at the hospital after Emily told Max she cheated, we haven't talked. She was nice at her house when we were panicked about Emily, and was the person who found Emily. but I knew Juliet. She liked to hold grudges.

"Hi sweetheart." I peered around James and watched Juliet move out of the way to let Emily in. She put a hand on her back and guided her in the house with the help of James. "I hope you still like oatmeal rasin cookies. Cause I made alot." I saw Emily nod and Juliet chuckled.

"Why don't you sit down on the couch for now honey." I folded my arms over my chest and stood in the doorway watching James and Carlos help Emily sit on the couch. "How were the terrors?" Juliet laughed as she stood awkwardly close to me, but far enough away to make the point she was still mad.

"They weren't terrors actually. Jessie helped me cook, and Sammy helped Kendall and Max clean up your backyard. That storm really knocked your patio around." I frowned as I turned and shut the front door, unzipping my coat. "Also Kendall said you two talked about having us over for dinner tonight but if you changed plans..."

"After everything you two have done for us, the least we could do is feed you." As I turned back to face James, I gave him a look I hoped he understood. He of course didn't even see me because he was helping Emily prop her foot up under some throw pillows. However, Juliet saw my look, and looked away quick. "I'm gonna go get the grill started, hopefully before it starts raining, and I'll bring back a bottle of water for you." Emily nodded and just like that James left asking Carlos if he wanted to help him. It left me standing alone with Juliet who was looking anywhere but at me. I turned my attention to Emily and walked to her dropping to my knees by the couch.

"You need anything?" I pushed hair off her forehead and she shook her head yawning. Her head turned a little and she snuggled deeper into the couch. "Just call me if you need anything. I'll be in the kitchen." She nodded and before I stood up I kissed her nose, taking her hand in mine, and squeezed. I turned expecting to see Juliet, but she was gone. I let out a soft sigh and took my coat off gently tossing it to my big recliner. I pushed up the sleeves on my shirt and walked into the kitchen.

I couldn't help but smile seeing Juliet standing in front of the stove putting fresh cookies onto a cooling rack. I wanted to say a billion and one things, but the sound of my youngest laughing made me look out to the backyard. I sat down at the island and watched as my little boy ran right towards Max who was hodling a football, ready to throw it. Just as Sammy got close enough to him, Max threw the ball to Kendall who "fell" to the ground letting Sammy tackle him and take the ball from him. I chuckled watching James run to Sammy and pick him up. He then ran past Max who "Tried" to stop them, letting Sammy throw the football on the ground and cheer. "I hope you don't mind me using your food. Jessie wanted to do something nice for Emily." I turned to Juliet, smile fading and sat up, swallowing hard. She stll had her back to me and was scooping out more dough onto the cookie sheet. "And if you want us to go we will." I looked down at the island counter top and felt like a jackass. Right now would be a great time to say something, anything, but nothing came out. When she didn't say anything either I felt even worse and looked back up. Juliet was walking to the sink carrying a mixing bowl and a wooden spoon. We avoided eye contact, which I figured would be best. As she started to hand wash the bowl I cleared my throat and found my voice.

"I never got the chance to thank you." She remained looking down at the sink and I folded my hands together twiddeling my thumbs. "James told me you took a tumble getting donw to where Em's was. I hope you're okay." That was the best I could do. I felt dumb but happy to get it off my chest. "I heard Max is getting his stiches out on Monday." She still, remained looking down at the sink which irritated me. I slid off my stool and walked into the kitchen stopping by the sink. I quickly turned the water off making her look to me. "I'm sorry Jules. I'm sorry for everything I said last week. I felt bad for what my daughter did to Max and didn't know how to react." Juliet looked down wiping her hands on the dish towel on her shoulder. "I didn't mean anything about you and Kendall and your therapy I just..." She quickly threw her arms around my neck and pulled herself up, on me. I wrapped my arms around her back and lifted her off the gorund, squeezing my eyes shut. "James told me I was an idiot and I should call you but I was so afarid we'd say more stupid shit and I'd loose you as a friend." She shook her head against mine and I rubbed her back turning my own head. I kissed the side above her ear, and opened my eyes hearing more laughter from outside.

"I'm sorry too...you know that girl out there will always, always have a special place in my heart. I just never thought i'd see my son be hurt like that. I felt like if he was attacked, so was I." I nodded gently putting her on the ground and we pulled apart, just so we could look at each other. "But James was right...which pains me to say." We both laughed as I wiped away a tear line going down her face. "It's our kids life. Not ours." I nodded and leaned down kissing her forehead. "I love you Loges."

"I love you too Jules." I pulled her back into me and hugged her, laying my head on top of hers.

"Jesus are you guys going to make out now?" I turned fast glaring at James who had Jessie over his shoulder, holding onto the back of her legs. I could tell she was hitting his back but it barely bother him. "Your son is requesting your prescense." I pointed to my chest and James nodded walking past us, straight to the living room. I sighed out lacing my hand with Juliets and led her outside. As soon as we got outside Sammy, who was climbing on the jungle gym James had built for the kids, spotted me and threw up his arms.

"Poppa!" Kendall and Max who were throwing around a football turned to me and smiled big. "Uncle Kendall taught me a new word!" I frowned glaring at him just as Sammy got to us. He grabbed my hand connected to Juliets and pulled both of us down. I squatted, right next to Juliet who also squatted down. Sammy put a hand on each of our cheeks and grinned big. "Jerk!" I snapped up fast and gave Kendall the angriest look I could think of.

"In my defense..." He got beside Juliet who was putting Sammy on her hip also glaring at her husband. "He heard me talking to Max about the kids who hurt Emily...or at least let Emily get hurt, and because I knew he was near, i toned down my language."

"Jerk, jerk, jerk, jerk!" I moved forward quick and shoved Kendall turning to my son in Juliet's arms.

"There is only one person who can use that about, okay?" Sammy nodded giving me the cutest little look and I smiled small. "Only about Uncle Kendall." Sammy and Juliet laughed loudly making Kendall roll his eyes and walk into me. He wrapped an arm around my neck and started tickling my stomach which I immedietly started to fight him on, both of us laughing like wild men.


	13. Chapter 13: Enough

**Max's P.O.V.**

I honestly couldn't believe half the shit I was reading. I probably couldn't believe it because I didn't want to. I don't want to hear from one of my best friends that the reason I was single was because the girl of my dreams lied to me. Not about cheating with Austin. No, I knew that. That's why I dumped her. But she lied that it only happened one time. She said it was a one-time thing. But my best friend, who has never lied to me, is telling me a different story. One where as soon as she met the guy she wanted to fuck him. And quiet literally did. When I was at football practice she was giving him head in the back of her car. And since that first day, it was almost every other day she was with him. Weather she was blowing him beneath the bleachers, letting him fuck her in the bathroom, she was always on his dick. The bitter, petty part of my brain said I was happy she got hurt and left by him in the woods two nights ago. But my mothers voice kept creeping into my head telling me I was better than to think like that. I hated it. "Hello?! Lovely Knight family?!" I sighed looking up from the dinning room table hearing Robbie, my best friend walk into my house. "When you didn't text me back…" Robbie walked into my house like it was his own making me sort of smile. He set his car keys onto the table I was sitting at, my laptop open in front of me, with an empty bowl of cereal next to me. He walked into my huge open kitchen going right to the fridge. "I thought maybe you had gone to find Austin and kill him."

"Is he just running his mouth to everyone at school?" He nodded grabbing a bottle of OJ and I frowned sitting back, shoving my hands into the pocket of my sweater. "Wait until I go back. I'm fucking beating his ass."

"I don't see the point my dude." I glared back up at Robbie who was pulling himself up onto the island looking at me, while he poured OJ into a plastic cup. Robbie and I have been friends since pre-k because our dads used to be partners on the force. But about 10 years ago, Robbie's dad found out his wife had been sleeping with his brother and he lost it. His dad killed his mom and then himself. Ever since then, Robbie has lived with his grandparents and on more occasions than not, at my house. My parents loved the kid like he was one of theirs. And because Robbie is black, whenever my dad gets the chance he tells people he is their child. By blood. The looks people give him is hysterical. "How are you feeling man?" I glanced up to my friends face and smiled small but shrugged. He took a sip of his OJ just as I heard my parent's soft voices coming closer. "You think your mom will let me hug her this morning?" I flipped him off as he slid off the counter, just as they walked in, both dressed. I frowned seeing my mom dressed like she was going to work. "Mrs. Knight! Beautiful as ever!" My mom smiled big at him as she walked to me and put an arm around my shoulders, bending down. As she did, I saw Robbie glance to her chest and gave him a dirty look as my mom kissed my temple. Before I could say anything to him, my dad grabbed Robbie by the back of the neck and turned him walking him further into the kitchen.

"How do you feel this morning? Excited to get your stiches out?" I nodded watching both my dad and Robbie separate, smiling. "And how are you today Robbie? Got any good town gossip for me?" Robbie looked at me, silently asking if he could tell my parents about Emily, but I shook my head. He smiled and watched my mom walk to him. She stood on tippy toes, even in her heels, and gave him a little kiss to his cheek. He closed his eyes fist pumping the air. I shook my head standing up and Robbie shrugged backing up to the sink as my mom and dad started to work around the kitchen, getting coffee, and food.

"Nothing interesting. My Aunt is starting to catch on that I blab her stories to you. She said if you come see her at the salon more often you could hear things first hand." My mom laughed as she stirred sugar into her coffee cup and my dad shook his head.

"Please don't encourage her to go get her hair done more often. The last time she came home, I got in trouble for not noticing a one-inch cut." I smirked at my dad as I set my bowl in the sink quickly washing it out. "I am curious to know how football has been without Max."

"About 20 times better." Robbie smacked my back, both him and my dad laughing. "It's boring. Just like school is without him. When can he come back?"

"Two more weeks."

"Or if his physical therapist says it's okay." I turned quick to see my dad getting a death glare from my mother. "I think…"

"It's not your decision Kendall. The doctor said three weeks of bed rest so it's three weeks of bed rest." The whole kitchen went quiet as my mom turned to the fridge and pulled it open. "And you wonder where he gets his stubbornness from." She said it under her breath making my dad roll his eyes and turn to Robbie who was now standing next to me. "Shouldn't you be going to school Robbie?" I gave an apologetic look to my friend, but he smiled big before finishing off his OJ and handed me the empty cup.

"Yes ma'am." My mom glared at him as she walked to the stove in front of my dad and gently shoved him to the side. "I will be stopping by afterwards to bring the kid's homework."

"And you can stay for dinner if you'd like." Robbie only nodded gently patting my shoulder as he walked to the kitchen table.

"See you later dude." Robbie gave me a peace sign over his shoulder as he walked out of the house, car keys jingly as he went. Once I heard the front door open and then close I turned to my dad. He was watching my mom spread cream cheese on her bagel holding his coffee cup, smiling small. Without even looking at him my mom sighed.

"Stop looking at me Kendall." My dad chuckled turning to me and sipped his coffee. "So…once you get your stiches out, you guys are going to come have lunch with me, right?" I felt my phone buzz in my pocket but ignored it as my dad walked to me finishing off his coffee.

"Yes ma'am." My mom sighed very loudly making my dad laugh as he stood next to me. "If you are that worried about it baby, why don't you come with us?" My mom turned, one bagel half in hand her coffee in the other.

"Because I really have to go in today. Sarah's maternity leave started today. I have no front desk help. And I'm about 30 orders down since my new girl already quit. I have two employees in that building and it's not fair to just throw everything on them. It is my business after all." She took a small bite of her bagel looking at me and chewed fast. I suddenly felt weird. Like…knowing my mom wasn't going to be home today with me made me feel…scared. I don't know why. Maybe because I was so used to her being here the past week with me, cooking for me, helping me with homework and watching numbing TV with me…now that she was going to work, and wouldn't be with me when I got my stiches out made me feel sad. And alone. "You feeling okay Max?" I looked up fast, smiling and nodded.

"These stiches itch really bad. I didn't get a lot of sleep because of it." My mom nodded giving me an odd look which seemed to make me feel worse. "I'm going to go shower." I saw my dad nod as I pushed off the counter and walked to my mom. She quickly put down her bagel and coffee and let me wrap around her tight. I had to sort of bend to get down to her neck but when I did, I put my face in it and closed my eyes tight. One of her hands went to the back of my head while the other rubbed my back soothingly.

"I love you. I'll see you after your stiches are out." I nodded giving her one last squeeze and stood up.

"I love you too. Have a good day at work." She smiled small, putting her hand on my cheek rubbing under my right eye. I let her go and turned walking to the dining room and let out a low breath.

As I got in my shower, putting some music on in my bathroom, I sat in the middle of the tub legs pulled up to my chest letting the water run down around me. I wanted so bad to cry out and scream. I felt miserable because of what Emily has done to me. I felt helpless with the idea of love. I wanted to grab Emily by her throat and squeezed until I felt better. But that wasn't healthy. I didn't know what would be healthy. I couldn't move on because I loved that girl more than myself. But I couldn't dwell on this either. I guess I was just going to have to sit in my own depression until I found another girl as great and amazing as Emily. Which was probably going to be never.

I stayed up in my bathroom for about 30 minutes knowing my mom was probably gone for work, and my dad was waiting for me to be ready to go to the hospital. As I dressed myself in a pair of black skinny jeans and a plain black short sleeved shirt, something hit me. James was my surgeon when I was shot. Did that mean he was going to be the one to take my stiches out? I hated the idea as I pulled on a dark red and black plaid flannel button up shirt and put on my dad's old Minnesota Wild baseball cap. I turned it around, so it was backwards and walked down stairs while trying to pull on some black socks. When I got down to the living room I frowned seeing it empty but hearing something from the backyard. I slipped on my all black sneakers and headed to the glass door leading out into our large backyard equipped with a 7-foot-deep pool, and a large grass area for me to practice football with my dad. And as I stepped out onto the dark wood deck my dad built from hand I had to smile. My dad was raking up leaves from the huge tree that sat on the side of our backyard that was already starting to change with the fall season right around the corner. I smiled because I knew it was something my mom asked him to do sometime last week when I was in my rut after being told Emily cheated. I remember looking out my window and seeing them outside cleaning up the yard after a rather windy storm came through. "You need some help?" My dad looked up from his already huge pile and smirked leaning on his rake.

"Well I was hoping I'd be finished before we had to go but…" He looked at the gold watch on his wrist and sighed out. "Your appointment is in 30 minutes and I want to grab a coffee at Starbucks." I nodded looking around our yard sighing out. "So…you wanna tell me what that was with your mom?" I heard him walk up the deck to me, but I stayed still looking at our pool, still filled. "Don't get me wrong. You made your mom very happy. She loves when you get all clingy like that. But I know better. Something is bothering you or you broke something." I laughed looking at my dad who set the rake up against the wall of the house. I only shrugged making him sigh out as he motioned me to go inside. As I walked in I grabbed a muffin sitting on a plate by the coffee pot and led my dad to the garage.

We stayed relatively quiet the whole drive only talking when we got to Starbucks. He bought me a drink and then we went back to being quiet. We when we got to the hospital I let him walk me to the 5th floor where James would be. We got to a empty waiting room and while my dad went to the front desk, I sat down in front of the TV and watched the quiet news as my dad quietly told the nurse who we were. I was glued to the TV seeing we were going to be getting another huge storm just as my dad walked by me and gently swatted at my leg. He nodded to the door he was walking to and I got up quick, following him fast. He held the door open for me as we walked down a hall with closed off rooms with loud beeping noises coming from them. I tensed up suddenly realizing this might very well hurt and wanted to call my mom. But my dad slowing down as we got closer to the end of the hall made me listen closely to the voices coming from a half open office door. "She's not going to learn if we don't punish her in some way Logan. Do you want her going out into the woods at midnight again? Do you want her hanging out with that kid again?" I swallowed hard as my dad stopped a few feet from the door making me also stop.

"She can't drive right now. Why not just wait until she's better?" My dad and I locked eyes and I opened my mouth. He shook his head soft and reached out knocking softly.

"It's me." I heard a chair squeak and tensed up seeing my Uncle James face smiling big at us. He motioned us in and my dad let me go in first. I smiled at Logan who still had a black coat on, and his brown messenger bag hung over his shoulder. He smiled right at me and grabbed a Starbucks cp on James's messy desk.

"Have loads of fun guys. Don't let James give you a hard time." I nodded as Logan walked past me, gently squeezing my shoulder as he went. When he walked past James, you could tell there was a chill in the air as James tried to grab Logan. Logan ducked out of his grasp and hurried out of the office. James laughed walking to his desk and shimmied out of a zip up black sweater. Underneath were his scrubs and my nerves came back.

"You get a good breakfast in Max?" James bent slightly writing something furiously on a piece of paper and I nodded. "Cause if you didn't…" He stood up giving me a funny face before laughing and walking to the door. "You won't have anything to throw up." I swallowed hard seeing my dad smiling and giving his oldest friend a not so nice finger.

"Is it really going to hurt?" James stopped walking fast and turned to me, in the doorframe. I saw my dad walk to me quick and set a hand on the back of my neck. I looked at him before looking down and shoving my hands into the pockets of my jeans. "Robbie told me Emily didn't just sleep with that guy once. She's been doing it for a while. Behind my back. It…" I saw my uncle get in front of me and quickly wiped at my left eye, so they didn't see my tears, not like it mattered. "It hurts to think she would do that to me, all the while I loved her and bent over backwards for her. I just don't want to feel hurt anymore." My dad gently pulled me into him and squeezed the back of my neck. "Sorry…I…"

"Max." I looked up quick seeing my Uncle smiling down at me, but had pity written all over his face. "I promise this wont hurt. And I promise you that Emily…" He stopped swallowing hard and looked down shaking his head. "Emily cares about you a lot. I think she may even love you. I don't have any reason for you as to why she would do that and I'm sorry." I quickly wiped under my eyes again and shrugged looking back down. "How about we get these stiches out and I'll buy you lunch." I looked up at him and forced a smile making him smile back. "But not for your dad." I laughed quietly turning to my dad who was only looking at me, smiling small. I nodded to him as he moved in fast and hugged me tight letting me know above all else, he was there for me. For the time being, that seemed to be enough.


	14. Chapter 14: Perfect

**Kendall's P.O.V.**

"If you honestly think that the Raiders have any chance of going far this year because they've won three games you are dumb, kid." I glanced into the rearview mirror of my truck as I parked in the all too familiar parking lot and looked at my kid. He had his mouth hanging open as he looked at his Uncle who was casually drinking his water.

"You're going to sit there and tell me Derek Carr isn't one of the strongest new quarterbacks out there?"

"Sure, he's good…" I put my truck in park and glanced to my best friend who unbuckled his seat belt and turned to me smiling big. "But he's no Tom Brady."

"Get the fuck out of here with that Tom Brady shit!" James laughed as he slid out of the truck, taking the two bags of food with him. "If my side didn't hurt I would beat you up." I also slid out of the truck and locked it, pocketing my keys. I clutched onto the tea bottle in my hand and took my sunglasses off my face walking slowly to the sort of modern looking building, two stories high. I could see from the huge double glass doors, Juliet standing behind the front desk, holding a corded phone between her ear as she looked at a piece of fabric in her hands. I frowned as I pulled the door open and moved out of the way letting Max in first, James following fast. "Hey mom. We brought salad and your favorite dish from Olive Garden." I stepped in the sort of cold room and gently let the door shut behind me. Juliet quickly hung her phone up and set her fabric down, smiling wide.

"Hi baby! How do you feel?" I walked around James who stood behind Max who quickly raised his shirt showing off his scar to his mother. She gasped quietly putting a few fingers on his skin. "Did it hurt?"

"No. James was pretty gentle. He also bought lunch, so I got a lot of stuff." Max turned slightly and took the food bags from James making him shake his head. "Where are we eating?"

"My office is fine. Just don't spill please." Max nodded walking past his mom who turned her attention to James and I. "No Logan?" Before I could say he was busy James laughed and started to walk towards Juliet's office.

"Let me guess. He already bitched me out to you." Juliet sighed raising an eyebrow at me making me smirk. I finally walked to her, letting her wrap her arms around my waist as I brushed hair off her shoulders and kissed her forehead.

"He did bitch to me. Something about James is being too mean to Emily considering her broken foot. I didn't have the heart to tell Loges I agreed with James." I nodded gently rubbing her back up and down looking into her office seeing James and Max sitting on the leather couch in Juliet's office. They were looking at one of their phones, making them both laugh loudly. "Did he end up telling you why he was so cute and clingy this morning?" I pulled away a little and smirked but quickly grabbed her hand and started to lead us to her office.

"I'll tell you later." I saw her nod as I let her walk in her office first and followed, shamelessly staring at her ass. "Did you two eat my food?" Both Max and James looked at me, Max slurping a noddle, while James shoved a forkful of chicken in his mouth. I let Juliet sit in the huge armchair cornered with the couch and went to her desk. I rolled over her desk chair and sat down hard yawning. I watched as Max handed his mother her food and waited patiently as James got mine out for me. Once I had it, I sat forward and started to stuff my face.

"How is Emily doing?" After a few minutes of us all eating quietly Juliet finally spoke, making James give her a dirty look before looking back down at his own food. "Logan said you guys found out she's missed a lot of school. And her grades are dropping. Is it because of Austin?" I turned to my son to see him look down fast at his bowl of spaghetti. Jules reached out and touched his knee rubbing it.

"I'm pretty sure of it. And by now Emily thinks she has gotten away with fucking murder because Logan is babying her over her foot." Jules nodded glancing over to me and I smirked taking a sip of my iced tea. "I know you won't like hearing this Jules, but I can't wait for Max to go back to school and kick that kids ass. We all know he wants too." I smiled big seeing Max look up, his phone in front of his face, smile appearing. Juliet sighed shaking her head and I chuckled.

"He is my son." Juliet chuckled standing up, just as my phone started to ring in my jean pockets. Juliet quietly said she was going to use the restroom and bent down, kissing me softly as she walked out. I pulled my phone out and waited a second seeing Carlos's stupid picture come up on my phone. He was either calling to make plans for this Sunday which was a small party we were having while football played all day. Or he was calling about work. As I answered it, I hoped it was the latter. "Hello?"

"Where are you right now? Is James with you?" Carlos sounded slightly panicked and I sat up setting my black plastic bowl on the table in front of me.

"Yeah why?"

"You need to come to the hospital. Someone attacked Logan." I stood up fast and looked down at my oldest friend giving me an odd look. "I have a few uniformed officers with me, but Logan is unconscious right now. I asked security to pull the footage outside his office and inside it, where he was attacked but both cameras were black."

"NO one saw or heard anything in that place?" I pulled my car keys out of my pocket and motioned James to get up.

"That's the weird thing. A nurse…the one who found him lying in the middle of his destroyed office, said she saw Logan go in there and then for a solid 45 minutes it was quiet. That's when she went in to check on him. As far as she knows, no one was in or out of that office in that time."

"Alright. I'll be right there. I'll bring James." James stood up fast hearing that and I hung up hearing Carlos say goodbye. "Max, you need to stay here with your mother. I'll come get you later." I started to turn just as Juliet walked in all smiles. "I gotta cut this short baby girl." I put both hands on her sides and leaned down kissing softly.

"Why can't I go?" I pulled away getting a worried look from Juliet. I swallowed hard and turned to look at James and Max, both glaring me down.

"Someone attacked Logan in his office."

"What?" James took a step forward and I raised my hand. "Who? Is he okay?"

"I'll explain on the way over. I'm going to leave Max here. I'll pick him up if I'm done before you get off work." Juliet only nodded, looking scared and I gave her one last kiss before I headed for the front door.

"Call me when you see Logan." I only nodded pulling my keys out of my jean pockets and walked quickly out of Juliet's work.

"Is he okay Kendall?" I unlocked my truck and got in it quick waiting for James to do the same. As he slammed his door shut hard behind him, I slid the key into the ignition and turned slightly looking at the pale face of my best friend.

"Carlos said he was found unconscious in the middle of his destroyed office." James closed his mouth fast as I backed out of the parking spot and turned my head to make sure no one was behind me. "Both cameras going into his office and in his office, were blacked out. No one saw or heard anything. It was by the grace of God a nurse went in when she did."

"Shit…" I quickly put my truck in drive as soon as I was out of the parking spot and sped off.

James stayed relatively quiet the short drive to the hospital. I had no idea what to say to him. Until I saw Logan, and the crime scene, I had no idea what to think. Carlos said someone destroyed his office. So, this was personal. He also said Logan was attacked and out, but what kind of injuries did he have? I really wished I had asked Carlos before we got to the hospital and James pulled his 'I'm a top surgeon here' card. Because as soon as the nurse at the front desk realized who he was, she nodded and led us down to the same hallway we were down just before we left for lunch with James. We asked Logan to join us, but he said he was too busy, which in my head, meant he was still pissed at James. And we left his office, on the first-floor mind you, in a busy ER, not even thinking about when we'd see him next and if he would be okay. The nurse led us past a few closed off rooms and down at the end where Logan's office was. My heart dropped into my toes seeing yellow police tape blocking the entry way and slowed down, as James went into a room, closed off by a curtain. I cautiously stepped forward to the edge of his office and let out a shaky breath. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and quickly turned my flashlight on, shinning it inside the dark office. No lights were on, and the sky outside was too overcast to bring in any extra light. The first thing I noticed was Logan's desk. It was completely blank. His computer was knocked over on the floor, a huge crack in the monitor. All his papers, usually in a neat organized stack where everywhere. All the picture frames of his beautiful family were smashed on the ground. The two plants he had in two of the corners of the room were knocked over, soil spilling out. Just as I started to lower my phone and turn off my light a hand clapped my shoulder, raising the police tape. "I already had the team sweep for prints." I looked over to Carlos who nodded me inside and I did. "Nothing man. No prints, except for Logan's, we assume. Whoever did this was very careful." Carlos raised his long black flashlight and shined it on a pile of broken glass towards a huge bookcase, completely untouched. "This was the oddest thing to me." He pulled a red handkerchief out of his pocket and bent slightly picking up a broken picture frame. When he raised it eye level to me I stepped forward frowning.

"No picture?" Carlos shook his head looking back down around us and I sighed out hard. "The nurse who found him…she didn't see anyone come in or out of this place?"

"Well she would get up from her seat every now and then." He gently threw the broken frame back on the ground and walked back to the door. He pointed out it and I walked to him still frowning. I looked to where he was pointing and stood up a little straighter. The nurses station looked directly into Logan's office. "She feels horrible. She said Logan usually always, always has his door open. Unless he's on the phone with a patient or family member." I nodded walking back under the yellow tape following Carlos to the closed off room James was probably in with Logan. "She thought to check on him, but she got busy. She is blaming herself." I shook my head and started to push the curtain a side to step in.

"Unless she did it to him, it's not her fault." I walked in slowly and couldn't help the smile on my face seeing the two bodies lying on the bed before me. James was on his back, with Logan basically lying on top of him. James had one arm wrapped around Logan's back, while the other was interlocked with one of Logan's hands. Logan's head was on James's chest but tilted so he could look up at his face. "How you feeling kid?" Logan slowly moved his head to me and grinned big. As I got closer I could see his eyes very dilated and a small gash on his forehead, covered by a white bandage. I tensed up looking closer at the gash and could tell it was deep.

"Someone told me I get to have ice cream for dinner." I sat down in the chair by the bed and gave James a stupid look. He laughed raising the arm on his back and ran his fingers through Logan's hair. "And I think for desert I'll have more ice cream!" James laughed as Logan pushed up and both his laugh, and my smile, left us. A long red mark was around Logan's neck. Someone choked him out. "I'm gonna use the restroom. And then we are going home so we can screw." Carlos laughed beside me, pulling a chair up, while Logan gripped onto the wall right by the small bathroom in the room. As soon as he was inside, slamming the door shut hard behind him, I turned to Carlos.

"He was choked?" In the corner of my eyes I saw James sit up both of us giving our undivided attention to Carlos who nodded leaning back.

"Looks that way. The doctor thinks that's why he was unconscious. The cut on his head was bad, but not deep enough to need stiches. He was either thrown or had something hit him upside his head." I glanced to James seeing him looking down at his hands in his lap, not saying a word. "I'm going to go to the station and look over the finger prints and all the statements. I'll keep you informed dude." James nodded still not looking up and Carlos gently gripped the back of his neck, squeezing gently.

"I think I need to tell you guys something." Carlos stood still, and I tensed up. "I may have an idea of who could have done this." I scooted to the edge of my chair and James looked right at me. "About a week ago…when Logan and Juliet went to Costco to get grocery's…and we went to the batting cages…you remember?" I nodded slowly remembering the phone call her and I had, in which I told I was going to change my ways and she sounded the happiest I had heard her in a while. "Well Jules told me they ran into an intern who…" Before he could finish the bathroom door swung open and a grinning, child looking Logan ran out of it, jumping on the bed. He shoved under James arm and clung onto him grinning back up at Carlos.

"What you guys talking about?" I saw James swallow hard just as Carlos turned to me.

"Well Kendall and I were just about to leave to find out who hurt you. James was gonna come walk us out and then take you home." Logan nodded slowly pulling away from James and laid back on the bed pulling his legs up to his chest. I stood up, and so did James but before I could walk away, James grabbed my upper right arm and pulled me closer to him.

"Look into an intern named Shawn Smith." I pulled away quick and he nodded sitting back down putting a hand on Logan's knee. "Ask Jules about it." I felt my stomach twist thinking about the fact that she hid something from me but Carlos's movement beside me made me nod and turn to the doors.

"You aren't going to walk them out?"

"No baby. I'm gonna stay with you." I smiled and waved goodbye to Logan who grinned even bigger back to me and waved softly. As I turned to the door Carlos already walking out of it, my phone started ringing in my back pocket. I pulled it out and felt my whole body tensing up. It was Juliet. Perfect.


	15. Chapter 15: Engulfed

**Juliet's P.O.V.**

It's not that I had any problem with the music currently playing. Hell, I didn't even mind how loud it was. It was the fact that it was distracting the two teenage boys from their homework that I had a problem with. But for as long as I've been a mother, I've always tried to be the "cool" mom. I loved to play the role of good cop especially because it usually meant Kendall and I got to think of some sort of punishment, and I always ended up being liked more. Kendall didn't mind. Because there were certain things that made me so mad about my son, that Kendall could handle and got to be liked more. It was an even balance. But the music, coming from the dining room, was loud enough for me to hear in my office, tucked away behind the stairs, and at the front of the house. That was too loud. And it was almost 7 at night so they would have to quiet down eventually. It would probably be best if they did it before Kendall came home. I wasn't sure when that was, but I grabbed my glass of white wine and walked out of my office, dragging my feet in my fuzzy slippers, the whole way.

I couldn't help but smirk seeing the two boys sitting at the dining room table, not doing homework, or anything really. Robbie was sitting back in his chair, sipping from a soda, while Max was leaning forward, grinning wide, telling a story I couldn't hear. I frowned at them as I walked into the kitchen, getting their attention. Enough to turn the music down anyway. "How's homework coming boys?" I took a small sip of my wine and set it by the stove glaring at the bright green numbers. 6:42. Kendall has been gone since lunch, and I've only heard from him once.

"We're actually pretty hungry mom. What's for dinner?" I turned back to my son and his best friend I treated like my son and shrugged leaning against the island, towards them. "Can we order in? Kind of craving Mexican." Robbie burst into a fit of laughter making me give them a stupid look, as Max stood up, blushing and walked out to me. "I can go pick some food up with Robbie." I sighed out looking over to Robbie who was still smiling, looking down at his phone and nodded slowly.

"Sure. Let me get my wallet." Max nodded, and I squeezed his arm as I walked past him out to the living room. Just as I grabbed my purse on the table by the front door, it pushed open hard. I jumped hearing a thunder clap from over head and watched my husband, who was soaking wet from the rain, stumble in, holding a huge box in his arms. He walked it right to the coffee table and I shut the door fast, ignoring the huge mess Kendall was making. "Jesus babe. Why are you so wet?"

"It's raining." I gave him a dirty look as the two teenage boys laughed along with Kendall who shook off his black coat walking back to me. He smirked as he leaned down and kissed my lips, hanging his coat. I pushed back quick and looked down at his wet clothes. "Someone's piece of shit car is blocking me from getting in my garage." I smirked looking over to Robbie who was slipping his sneakers on, smiling big at Kendall. "Where you two going?"

"Get dinner. Where gonna pick up some Mexican food. What you want?"

"Just a burrito. Here." Kendall quickly pulled his wallet out and handed Max a few bills, which Max quickly pocketed. "Be careful and don't doddle."

"What does doddle mean?" We all turned to Robbie who pulled his hood up over his head and I smirked grabbing Kendall's hand as he pushed his shoes off his feet.

"It means act like a jackass and take your time." Robbie nodded slowly and looked over to Max. Max was pulling on a black rain coat over his black sweater, and I could tell he was struggling with his side. Just because his stiches were out didn't mean he was healed suddenly.

"You need help man?" Robbie started to reach out, but Max quickly pulled his arms through the sleeves and breathed out hard through his nose shaking his head. "So, what will you have momma?" I grinned big to Robbie and felt Kendall squeeze my hand.

"I will take a couple street tacos. Extra hot sauce." Robbie nodded and pulled his car keys out of his pocket wiggling them. "Please be careful. It's really nasty out there." They both nodded walking to the door fast, walking out even faster. As soon as the door shut I turned my attention to the box on the table and felt the usual hinge of pain course through me, knowing Kendall had a new case. Except this new case was about our best friend. "How's Logan?" Kendal sighed out, squeezing my hand one more time before letting go and walking to the stairs.

"How come you never told me about Shawn?" I turned my head a little watching him walk up the stairs, already taking his shirt off and crossed my arms over my chest. "You know who I'm talking about Jules. The guy who grabbed your arm in Costco." I rolled my eyes walking up the stairs, again ignoring the trail of water Kendall was leaving behind. "James said you told him about it, because of how this guy was looking at Logan. But seemed to forget to tell me."

"I didn't forget. I just chose not to." Kendall stopped at the top of the stairs and looked down at me as I continued to climb them. I got up to him and walked past heading straight for the bedroom. "With everything going on in our lives, I just thought some creepy asshole who grabbed me should be the least of our worries."

"But it was a big enough worry you told someone behind my back." I again rolled my eyes and went straight to my walk-in closet turning on the light overhead. I set my hands on my hips and cringed at the pile of laundry in the wicker basket at the end of my closet. "I know that our past has led you to believe I'm some loose cannon who will kill a guy for just looking at you but…" I laughed out loud throwing a pair of sweats I missed, in the hamper and bent picking it up. "But…I'm still a cop. It is literally my job to protect and serve pretty lady. And who knows. If I had known about it, maybe Logan wouldn't have been hurt." I stopped turning, to walk out of my closet, hearing him, in his own closet. My chest started to hurt as my head started to get clouded by the idea that I was the reason Logan was hurt. "We don't know if it's him for sure, but before Los and I left the hospital I asked to see this Shawn guy and was told he hadn't been to work in three days. But they let me see his locker, which was a dead end. However," Kendall appeared in the doorway of my closet, nude expect for a pair of black boxers on. He frowned leaning against the doorframe and scratched his stubble on his chin. "What's wrong?"

"It's my fault Logan got hurt?" Kendall stood up fast and rushed to me, putting my hamper on the ground, and holding my face.

"No baby. We don't even know if it was him. He's just a suspect." I looked down to his still sort of wet chest and grabbed his sides. "It is not your fault. I just want to know when someone creeps you out. I want to know when some asshole grabs you and makes you uncomfortable." I nodded quick feeling my throat swelling up, telling me I was going to start crying, but not knowing sure why I would start crying. "Whoever did this to Logan knew him. This was a personal attack. And a guy who has interned there for a week and a half is not doing anything for a personal reason." I nodded again and closed my eyes fast, to stop the tears from falling. "James called me before I left work. He got Logan home safe, with pain killers. He's going to be fine. And hopefully when he wakes up he'll be able to remember more of what happened." I pushed into him fast, not caring he was still slightly wet and hugged him tight, putting my head under his chin. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's alright. I should have told you about Shawn. But at the time it didn't seem all that important." I felt Kendall nod over me and I opened my eyes breathing in deep.

"So, you know why Max wanted to go to that Mexican place right?" I pushed away a little and turned my head slightly as Kendall smiled and pushed hair back off my face. "Carlos's daughter started working there."

"Jenna got a job?" He nodded and locked his hands behind my back pulling me back into him. "She's only 14." He frowned kissing my forehead before letting me go and picking up my hamper.

"Babe she's 17. And a grade younger than Max. And from what Carlos has told me, causing quite the problems with the boys at school. As he so very awkwardly put it, she developed over summer break." I squealed with happiness making Kendall shake his head as he grabbed his wet clothes of the floor of his closet. "Max sure does have a thing for my best friend's daughters." I gave him a dirty look as I went into our bathroom and quickly grabbed our towels hanging on the wall by the shower. I gently tossed them in the hamper by Kendall as he slipped on a pair of sweats, and a plain grey shirt.

"Jenna is a sweet girl. And so smart. I remember Samantha telling me she wants to be an engineer. I think she'd be an improvement over his last girlfriend." I casually checked my hair in the mirror of our bathroom hearing him chuckle.

"His last girlfriend was James and Logan's daughter."

"Who…" I turned out to him, setting my hip on the counter, crossing my arms over my chest, glaring at him as he tried to balance on one foot, while pulling a sock on.

"Who what?" I rolled my eyes at him for the third time tonight and grabbed the laundry basket, walking to our bedroom door. "You ever going to let what she did go?"

"Nope!" He laughed again as I walked down the hall to the top of the stairs. Just as I stepped down the first one, I could feel really cold air rushing into the house, and the sound of the rain seemed louder. I could hear Kendall coming up behind me as I took a few more steps further down. When I saw the front door wide open, I opened my mouth and felt the basket slipping from my hand. "Kendall?" My voice came out shaky and scared Just as Kendall walked around me. I watched as he hurried down the steps and quietly closed the front door. I carefully set the basket on the stair beside me and took one step down. He raised his left hand, without looking at me and silently told me to stay. I froze in my spot watching him glance around our seemingly quiet house. He walked quickly out of my sights and I felt panicked. I crouched down slowly and looked through the banister seeing his back, only to watch it disappear into the dining room. I waited, not so patiently to hear any sound, or voice. But there was nothing. I contemplated going down to my office to get my cell but remained seated. It was no longer than 2 minutes when Kendall appeared at the bottom of the steps shaking his head.

"The house is empty." I let out a sigh of relief as he climbed the stairs up to me and grabbed the laundry basket kissing my cheek softly. "The boys must not have shut it all the way and the wind blew it open." I nodded as he helped me stand, tucking the laundry basket under one arm, holding my hand with his other one. I clutched onto him as he walked us down stairs and to our laundry room, feeling like someone was going to jump out and scare us or kill us…or something. Because after all…if the wind was that strong, wouldn't we have heard the door slam as it smacked into the wall?

I was more than surprised to get help from Kendall with the laundry, and even cleaning up our living room. The living room sort of turned into a second room for Max since he was shot, and it was turning messy quick. After it was cleaned, Kendall started a fire and went to work looking at all his paperwork from the box on the coffee table. I grabbed my laptop and sat right by the fire, doing some work, answering emails from suppliers and customers. We sat in silence, only the fire, and storm outside making noise for a good 30 minutes. The silence was broken by my cell phone ringing loudly from my office, making me groan. I was irritated I forget to get it when I grabbed my laptop and work portfolio. And I was on my third glass of wine and wanted to just sit and relax but that clearly wasn't going to happen. As I got closer to my phone facing up on my desk, I frowned, and felt panicked seeing the cute picture of Max and me. I was kissing his cheek as he snapped the picture of us on Logan and James's boat over the summer. I loved that picture so much I made it his caller ID pic. But knowing he was out in the storm, and still recovering from being shot, nothing but fear raced through me. As I picked it up I hoped it was just that the restaurant was out of chicken and wanted to know what else I would have but knew it wouldn't be just that. "Max? Are you alright?"

"Mom…someone…your office is on fire!" I tensed up hearing sirens blaring in the background behind my sons, scared pained voice. "We were driving home and took the street by your office. It was already up in flames. Robbie called 911 but…but it's burning down mom."

"Where are you now?" I spun fast and sort of ran out to Kendall who was still into his work on the coffee table, beer bottle in hand.

"Were still here. I wanted to be here when the fire department showed up. I can't do anything to stop it mom."

"Baby it's alright. Just stay back okay and make sure no one goes to it, until the fire department gets there." I saw Kendall look up quick and stand up quicker as he saw me pulling my sneakers on my feet. "Dad and I will be there very soon." I hung up fast and felt a hard breath enter my body. "Max drove past my office." I pulled my coat on and watched him also slip on some shoes staring right at me. "My office is on fire." Kendall's mouth parted slightly as he forced his other foot into his shoe and I handed him his rain coat. "I can't drive. Too much wine." He only nodded grabbing my hand, and his keys and led me out the door.

I nervously chewed on my nail on my right thumb the whole way, feeling in complete shock. Kendall was trying to reassure me, but it wasn't helping. He had his free hand on my thigh and would rub and squeeze every so often, but it wasn't enough. I couldn't imagine how a fire could have started in a building where I hand make clothing and tried to remember when I left work. Max was still with me, and between him, myself and my two employees, Maria and Janice, we turned every sewing machine off, turned every TV off and made sure everything was off and closed. There really wasn't a lot in my office that could catch fire. Except the coffee pot and our irons. But again, I turned all of that off. Right? "Jesus Christ." I looked up fast lowering my hand from my mouth and felt the first couple of tears fall out of my eyes. Kendall stopped quick, seeing police tape already up, being blown hard in the wind. I pulled my seatbelt off fast and slid out of Kendall's truck fast. "Babe wait!" I slammed the door shut hard and ran under the tape, blinking away rain as I ran towards my building engulfed in flames. I heard a small sob leave my mouth as I slowed down seeing firefighters trying their hardest to stop the flames, but the wind was not helping. It didn't look like the rain was helping either which made the situation seem even more helpless. Just as I started to feel my body giving up, an arm wrapped tight around and me and held me up, as we watched my office burn.


	16. Chapter 16: Same Last Name

**Logan's P.O.V.**

Somebody is going to have to pay. Pay for the loud obnoxious noises around me. Pay for the huge headache I had. And even pay for the thoughts in my head. The thoughts that someone had tried to hurt me seriously. Maybe even kill me. I was a city doctor who worked hard and provided for his family. Who would want to kill me? Maybe someone who hated gay people? Maybe someone who hated good dads? Whoever it was, was a jerk. And as I lay on my huge couch in my huge living room, hearing the soft buzzing of noise around me, all I knew was whoever it was, was probably never going to get caught. Maybe next time, he'll just finish the job and kill me. Or maybe next time he'll come after my children and husband. My eyes shot open fast at the thought and my stomach turned.

After pushing myself up slowly, off the couch, I sat back and glanced around the almost dark room I was alone in. The fire place was roaring, and there was only one light on, right beside my huge soft recliner. I groaned rubbing my eyes and yawned quietly, hearing the buzzing sound that woke me up, coming in clearer. I heard a fit of a little boy's laughter that made my heart flutter. It encouraged me to stand up, on wobbly feet, and walk to the closed off dining room and kitchen. I walked slowly rubbing around the burning feeling around my throat and pushed open the swinging door with my shoulder. As soon as I stepped in, I squinted at the bright lights blaring down at me, but still smiled. Because I still saw the four people sitting around our huge table, two pizza boxes open, with boxes of board games at one end. I smirked seeing James spot me and he motioned me over to him. As soon as he did, Sammy and Jessie spotted me, and jumped out of their seats. I opened my arms wide and let them collide into me, as I walked in with them clinging onto me. Emily was still seated next to her dad, who both looked worried looking at me. I frowned taking Sammy's seat and pulled him on my lap letting Jessie push into me, standing still. "Something smells delicious." James chuckled and quickly put a slice of pepperoni pizza on a plate and slide it over to me. I remained staring at him as I raised the pizza and opened my mouth. He laughed quietly sitting back, grabbing a whiskey glass, which I had to assume had whiskey in it, and frowned. Just as I went to take my first bite, I noticed Sammy was staring up at my face. I lowered the pizza quick and smiled small. "What's the matter buddy?"

"Does your head hurt poppa? Daddy said we can't be too loud or obnoxious tonight." I chuckled but glared at James as I set my pizza back down on my plate and pulled Sammy and even Jessie who was also looking at my head, closer into me.

"My head hurts just a little bit. But you know what will make it feel better?" Sammy shook his head very aggressively and I smiled holding one side of his face, while my other hand held the back of Jessie's head. "Seeing my babies kick their dad's butt at whatever game you're playing." Sammy grinned big at this and turned around on me, still sitting on my lap and picked up a stack of UNO cards. I smirked giving Jessie a kiss to her cheek before she sat back in her seat. I picked my pizza back up and looked over to Emily who surprising to me, wasn't on her phone. "How does your foot feel honey?"

"Great." I raised my eyebrows at my oldest child and watched her lean forward looking at the game her brother was playing again. "I'm really glad you guys decided now when I'm bed ridden to ground me. It means a lot to me to know you guys don't care about my social life, or the fact that I have friends who will be bringing my homework to me and won't be able to text me when they get here, because you took my phone away." I sat back chewing softly as James laughed into his whiskey glass, swallowing as Emily turned to him, glaring. James chuckled reaching out and held the back of her head, as he set his glass down and picked up his cards.

"I didn't know you knew what homework was since you've dropping your grades since school started." She softly, but with a purpose, pushed her dads hand off her head and I smirked slightly. "And you being bed ridden is hardly a punishment, since you've been ditching every other day to be with that kid, Austin."

"And let me guess? If I had been with precious Max, this wouldn't be a problem?" Emily turned back to her dad and they both glared at each other. I swallowed my food fast and patted Jessies back, making her turn to me, as she rolled her eyes.

"Can you take your brother in the living room for a few minutes please?"

"Sure. I don't think I wanna hear you and daddy dismantle queen Emily's throne anymore."

"Shut up Jess." I shot a warning glare to Emily as Jessie took Sammy's hand, along with his juice and walked out. I leaned forward and quickly grabbed the whiskey glass that was almost gone in front of James and tossed the rest back, squeezing my eyes shut hard. "I'm sorry Max got shot. And I'm almost sorry I cheated on him. But my grades dropping and me ditching school has nothing to do with that kid, Austin." She said his name with ice and as I opened my eyes I saw James chuckling again, sitting back looking right at me. All I could remember was how intense our fight got about how we would handle Emily's behavior. I wanted to wait until she was healed. He wanted to crush her in the hospital, which I of course did not let him.

"So, then what's the excuse for it all? I'm very curious." Emily laughed sitting back, crossing her arms over her chest and she turned away from him, giving him one of her very classic, I'm a moody teenager face. "Did you think your dad would pick your side? Is that why you wanna have another argument? Because you think you crying and pouting is going to work again?" I sighed leaning forward and cleared my throat making them both turn to me.

"Why have you been ditching? And letting your grades slip?" My voice was soft, which I could tell pissed off James, but fortunately encouraged Emily to talk.

"My theater teacher…she said there was a casting call in Saint Paul. I…I went to it. Austin went with me." My mouth parted slowly, and she leaned forward shaking her head. "Poppa I got a role in a commercial. All I want to do is act and I took the chance. Austin was supportive, and I guess me rehearsing for it and preparing for it meant I let some grades slip. But if I get in a commercial, and someone big sees it I won't need to worry about college. You guys can put that money in Jessie and Sammy's college funds." I looked over to James who surprised to me, was smiling at his daughter. I cleared my throat softly and James turned to me, laughing big. He stood up and walked around me, going into the kitchen. Emily deflated, and I turned back to her shaking my head.

"Since when did you want to become an actress? And have you lost your God damn mind?" Emily went to reach for her crutches and I stood up faster. "When are you supposed to do your…commercial?"

"This Friday. But daddy said I'm grounded so thank you for ruining my dreams. I hate you guys." I stood in front of the door for her to leave and she crutched her way over to me, groaning quietly.

"A couple of things." She looked up giving me a disgusted look and I shook my head. "Whatever terms your dad gave you for your grounding, it's doubled." Her mouth dropped open and I nodded. "If you really wanted to be an actress, you would have told us and…"

"I did tell you guys!" I raised my eyes seeing James get beside us, leaning on the wall next to me, holding a beer bottle in his hand. "This summer I went to that camp! I meant a lot of cool people who said I could be the next Jennifer Lawrence! And when I came home from camp I told you I wanted to go into acting and even go to school for it! You don't remember that?"

"I remember you telling me you liked acting and wanted to take a few classes when you went to college, but you never told me you changed your whole fucking life path!"

"I don't want to be a doctor! You two want me to be a doctor!" I heard James sigh beside me, making Emily turn to him, seething. "Sorry to disappoint you once again daddy! You wanted a boy and got me. You wanted a girl who was interested in sports and got me!" She turned back to me and I tensed up. "You wanted another doctor in the family, and to marry your best friend's son, and got stuck with me, your whore daughter! But it's a good thing you have the other two who you can mold into whatever you want!" She quickly pushed past me and crutched out of the dining room leaving both James and I speechless.

I quietly helped James clean up the dining room, and kitchen, neither of us either looking at each other. Suddenly, the fact that I was attacked at work, someone might come after me or my family still, left my brain. Did I force my own version of her life, on my daughter? Was I blind and deaf to her dreams? Did we kill her dreams?

We walked out of the kitchen slowly James behind me, still neither of us saying anything. I frowned seeing the living room empty and the TV still on. The fire was almost completely burned out and the kids had left toys on the floor. But I didn't care. I wanted to see Emily, hug her and tell her I loved her, no matter what she did. So, I stepped over the knocked over box of Legos and went to the stairs. I wasn't surprised to hear James behind me, but I wasn't a mind reader and because we said nothing after getting our asses handed to us by our youngest daughter, I had no idea where his head was at. Before I could ask him to keep his cool, we were in front of her closed bedroom door and with James still behind me, he reached out and knocked softly. I breathed out hard and reached behind me grabbing his free hand. "Em's…can we talk?" There was no sound which, in James's head, meant go in. He turned the knob and pushed the door open, both of us sighing quietly. Her blankets were pulled up over her head. She moved slightly as I walked in, letting James hand go, and gently sat down on the edge of her bed. I looked around her dark room and bit my lip seeing James sitting down at her desk.

"Baby…I'm so sorry." I looked down at the blanket seeing it moving again and I shook my head. "NO one ever tells you how to handle three very different kids at once. NO one hands you a manual on raising a spunky, carefree independent girl." I looked back to James and he smirked looking over to her corkboard covered in pictures of her and her friends. "Hearing you cheated on Max…even having sex at your age scared me. No dad ever wants to picture his daughter in bed with…"

"Okay stop." I jumped off the bed quick and the blankets pushed down revealing my two youngest children. Jessie sat up, pushing hair off her face smiling up at me. "There is only so much I will do for her." She put one leg off the bed, but I stopped her raising my eyebrows. She turned to Sammy who was clutching onto a brown teddy bear eyes wide. "I took a twenty-dollar bill from her and didn't ask questions."

"She gave me this bear." I let Jessie go and put my hands on my hips turning to James who was smiling small.

"Are you covering for your sister?" Jessie walked to her dad and patted his cheek before turning to the door.

"Don't know what you're talking about old man!" Jessie stepped out of the room making James laugh. I frowned sitting back down shaking my head.

"Did she take her car Sam?" I glanced down to him, eyebrow raised, and he quickly hid his face with the bear. I smirked and gently pulled it off him as James got on his knees beside Emily's bed. He reached out and softly put a hand on his cheek. "We can easily go down to the garage and look. But that won't be good for you." Sammy sat up fast and pulled the teddy bear back into his chest.

"She was crying daddy. She said she hated you and poppa, but it was okay if I still liked you guys." I hid my laugh as he pushed into me. "A boy picked her up. It wasn't Max though." I nodded looking down to James who was still smiling. "Are you guys going to make her leave?"

"Of course, not baby. She's still our little girl." I caught eyes with James and smiled small.

"Maybe that's the problem." I said it quietly as I ran a hand through Sammy's hair and James looked down, smile gone.

We tucked the kids into bed, after making sure they were bathed. My head was hurting bad and as soon as we closed Jessie's door, I went right to the bedroom. I faintly heard James say he would clean up downstairs and didn't give him an answer. I went right to the huge bed and fell in the middle of it, closing my eyes softly. I felt the tears start to come out and sobbed out quietly, finally. Everything that has happened in the past 24 hours has finally come to the flood gates. And all I could do was cry. I didn't let the sobs be too loud, as to worry the kids or James. Instead I just cried into the thick down blanket under me and shook softly as my throat swelled up making my heart burst. I couldn't have been crying to myself for more than five minutes before I heard the bedroom door close softly. I pushed up quick and let one little gasp escape my lips as I wiped my face and rested my head in my hands, closing my eyes. I waited for James to get on the bed, and when he did, I let him rub a hand over my back, while his long body laid on his back beside me. I turned my head to him and looked at his blank face through watery eyes. He was looking up at the ceiling gently rubbing my back still. I took in a much-needed deep breath and turned slowly onto my back. He kept his hand on my stomach once I was on my back and I looked up to the celling as he was doing and set my hands-on top of his. "Are we bad parents?" My voice was quiet. It made me feel worse.

"No. I think…" He paused, and I turned my head slightly to look at him. He sighed out also turning to me and smiled small. "I think we are overwhelmed parents." I swallowed that huge pill hard and looked back up to the ceiling. "Do you think she's right? About how I've treated her?" I shook my head softly, but quickly to hopefully reassure him. "I guess…I always used to push sports on her because…I did want a son. But I never forced her to…"

"You wanted her to be strong James. Just like I wanted her to be a doctor because I know how fulfilling it is."

"Then maybe we are bad parents." I snapped my head to him quick and he smirked rolling onto his side. "Let's snuggle. We'll deal with this in the morning." One of his hands started to push down into my pants and I quickly turned to face him and pulled his hand out quick.

"Our daughter snuck out of the house. I think that's something we should deal with right now." He laughed as his hand moved back to my body and pushed it into the back pocket of my work pants, quick.

"She didn't go far." I relaxed a little as his hand squeezed around my ass cheek and he moved forward ever so slightly. "When I was locking up downstairs, I saw a beat-up POS out on the street. I could see her sitting in the passenger seat. I think she's with Austin. Just right outside the house." I nodded feeling a little better as he lips attached to my neck making me start to shiver. "Just so you know…"

Before he could finish my phone started ringing loudly from my pocket in my pants. He groaned loudly rolling onto his back and I smirked seeing how effected he was and sat up slowly. I pulled my phone out and frowned at the time. It was almost 11 at night. If I didn't see Juliet's face smiling up at me, I would have ignored it. But because it was her, I slid it to answer and put it to my ear quick. "Hello?"

"Hey Logan. It's me." I rolled my eyes hearing Kendall's voice and laid back down, turning slightly to lay on James's huge chest. "I hope I didn't wake you up, and you're feeling alright."

"Is that really why you called Kendall so late?" He chuckled, and I closed my eyes letting James run a hand through my hair softly.

"No. Juliet wanted me to call you. Something…. someone burned down her office tonight." I shot up fast and felt my stomach turn. "No one got hurt but everything is gone. She did say however she asked you a while back to hold a few important documents for her. Something about her insurance and her financial records. DO you have those papers still?" I frowned pushing off the bed and walked to the shared walk in closet of mine and James.

"Yeah. They are in my safe. Do I have the only copies?" I bent down quick and pushed a pair of huge army boots of James to the side and crawled closer to the medium sized black safe.

"No. Well…she isn't sure. She's looking right now. That's why she wanted me to call to make sure you still had it. She never told me why she gave you them." I smirked putting my phone between my ear and shoulder and quickly opened the safe.

"When you…uhm…"

"Cheated you can say it Loges." I rolled my eyes reaching into the opened safe and pulled out the thick yellow folder sitting back on my feet.

"Yes. When you cheated she was worried about what she was going to do with her marriage and asked me to hold her some important documents. Just for safe keeping." Kendall laughed, and I quickly peaked in the folder seeing her beautiful hand writing sighing out. "I have a very thick yellow folder in my hands. I'm going to put it back in my safe though."

"Babe…" His voice trailed off and I gently set the folder back in the safe and shut it hard. "No sweetheart just go lay down." I smiled as I pushed myself up and turned. I froze seeing James giving me a worried look, half naked. I glanced down his hard-looking body but looked back up to his face hearing Kendall sigh. "I also have another question for you." I nodded letting James walk to me and without warning pick me and throw me over his shoulder. I muffled my groan of my stomach hitting into his hard shoulder and held myself up on the middle of his back. "That intern at the hospital, Shawn…" I rolled my eyes and tensed up as James threw me back on the bed and closed my eyes. "Does he have any kids?" I sighed softly and opened my eyes feeling James working on the button of my pants and let him start to undress me.

"It never really came up Kendall. But he's young. So, if he does have any, they are tiny babies." James was rough with pulling my pants down my legs and managed to pull my boxer briefs down with them.

"Okay…so what about a younger brother? Say a 17-year-old kid? Maybe named Austin?" I sat up fast again and pushed James away getting a very irritated look from him.

"Why?"

"The office building next to my wives burned down one, has a camera out front. Guess who they caught getting into a car just after her building went up in flames?" I grabbed a hold of James arm as he squatted down in front of me shaking his head. "I have a hunch that what happened to you today and the building being burned down, are connected. And I think it is that intern of yours. Who after doing a background check, found out has a kid named Austin living with him. Same last name." I stood up slowly, James following, growing more worried. "In the morning, I'm coming by, and I need to have a few words with your daughter."


	17. Chapter 17: Kryptonite

**Kendall's P.O.V.**

I'm not sure, which one of us woke up first. She was curled into the tight ball on top of me, still. I felt her move around, wrapping her arm tight around my back, snuggling her head deeper into my neck. My body was screaming and aching at my position but hearing her sob and cry herself to sleep made me not care about my pain. Letting her curl up on my body as I sat in my recliner was the only thing I could do for her at this current time. It seemed as soon I sat down, and she got on top of me, she was asleep. After she cried of course. And I fell asleep not long after her, even though I was uncomfortable. I didn't care. Just holding her, kissing her tears and sadness away was the best thing I could do for her.

I gently raised my left hand and glanced to my watch before I set it on her head and yawned, gently stretching my back, moving her slightly. I ran my hand through her slightly knotted hair and sat back looking around our dark living room. "I was just going to get up to go to work." I felt my heart ache as she slowly pushed her legs out from her body and stretched them over mine. "Too old to lay like this anymore." I chuckled as she looked up at my face and smiled small. Her right hand reached up fast and rubbed at the stubble on my cheek. "Do you have the time?"

"Quarter passed 8." She nodded laying her head back on me and shifted slightly. Her butt fell off my hip, making me feel about 10 times better, and she laid between me and the chair. "I think I should have taken care of this Shawn guy last night. We had enough proof." One of her legs started to rub up my leg while her hand pushed into my black sweats, quickly. I looked down and tilted her head up to look me in the eyes. I kept my hand gently around her neck while I rubbed my thumb under her eye and her hand started to rub over my clothed dick. She didn't go under the boxers, but the contact was enough for me to start to get excited. "You know I love you right?" She chuckled and with a speed I wasn't expecting, she pushed up on me, and straddled my waist. I quickly raised my arms over my head and stretched them closing my eyes. I felt her kiss onto my neck as her hands rubbed up and down my chest and stomach.

"I love you too." Her lips stopped, so I opened my eyes and lowered my hands to her thighs and watched her bit her bottom lip and give me a very sexy bedroom face. "Which is why, for once…" I raised an eyebrow and she smirked sitting back down onto my semi hard dick, softly. "I'm not even going to give you hell for going to work." I laughed loudly making her smile big. I moved my hands from her thighs, to her butt where I squeezed onto hard. I pushed her towards me and let her lay over top of me putting her hands on my face. "I obviously want you to be safe and come home to me but…" She kissed me softly and pulled away but only a little. "I want to see those two guys rot in prison." I squeezed onto her ass hard and sat up quickly shoving the recliner down. I shoved my tongue into her mouth and stood up letting her take control of the kiss as I walked us to the stairs. "We have to be quiet." She pulled away and ran her fingers through my hair as I walked us up as quickly as I could, to our bedroom. She went back to my mouth and bit my bottom lip resting her hand son my shoulders. Just as I walked into our bedroom and shut the door as quietly as I could with my foot, she sat back in my arms frowning. "You told Logan last night that you were going to go talk to Emily this morning." I nodded tossing her to our made bed making her gasp out quietly. I tore off my shirt and without pulling my sweats and boxers off completely, I just pulled myself out and crawled on the bed to her, rubbing myself. She sighed quickly pulling her black yoga pants off, along with her panties and I glanced down groaning quietly. "Do you think Emily knew he was going to do that last night?"

"Doubt it." I leaned down and pushed her shirt up on her body hating that her bra was still on. I however still kissed her chest above her bra line still rubbing myself to get hard. "Logan and James have raised their kids right. If she knew she would have told them. Or someone." The side of my head was grabbed and pulled up to meet her face. She put our mouth inches apart from each other as I felt her legs wrap around my own. I glanced down to watch as I moved the tip of my cock to entrance. As soon as I pushed it in, I moved my hand to the bed outside her head and looked back up to her eyes. They were closed, and she was slowly starting to push her back off the bed. As soon as I was inside her completely I sat up on my knees and set my hands on her knees, bent around me. I started to pull out and she moaned moving her hands behind her back. I started a slow rhythm watching her struggle to unhook her bra. When it was, she pushed it away from her breast and grabbed each one turning her head slightly. "Are you going to be alight today?" She laughed quietly making me bend down quick and kiss on her ear and bite the bottom of her lobe. One of her hands ran through the back of my hair and I closed my eyes letting her soft moans invade my ears. "Maybe you should go over to Logan and James, with Max."

"Baby can we have this discussion when you aren't fucking me?" I opened my eyes and sat up fast. I grabbed ahold of her hips and increased my speed. She groaned again grabbing her breast and looked up at me, pouting ever so slightly. "I love you." I smiled small and resituated us, so she was sort of sitting on my lap, her back still on the bed.

"Love you too."

We made love on the bed, and then moved to the bathroom for round two. It was the first time in a long time we had sex in the shower and I loved everything about it. Her wet bouncing tits in my face. The sound of skin slapping against skin. The fact that I had to hold her up really get us there was the cherry on top. To feel her hold me…to know that she trusted me that much made me feel good. I was needed. And I was loved by her. For some reason that made me think about the time that would come where one of us would be without the other. It made me sad. But she shoved her tongue in my mouth and made me forget about my sad thoughts. I came hard in her as she shook and screamed on top of me, and I slumped into the wall behind her. I quickly pulled out of her and let her lean against the wall, water running down her body, panting. I smirked at my handy work and gently started to wash her. When I finished she seemed to have been calmed down and took the loofa from me and returned the favor, washing me. By the time we were done, dressed and ready to leave the house, it was almost 9:30. I couldn't help but smile to myself as she took my hand and led me to the stairs. It was a long session of hot passionate sex that her and I would only know about and I was okay with that.

I let her hand go as soon as we got to the bottom of the stairs and stared down at my son sitting on the couch. He had his Xbox controller in both hands and barely noticed his mother sit down next to him. I set my hands on my hips and walked over to my recliner grabbing my phone quickly unlocking it. I opened my messages and text Carlos, telling him to meet me at James and Logan's. I got a quick response back from him, saying he already made a visit to the known address of Shawn and I assumed his little brother Austin. No one was home. I sighed out looking up and stared at Max who was still into his game. "Max…you wanna come with us to James and Logan's house?"

"And see Emily? No thanks." He clicked hard onto his controller and I looked at the screen just in time to see him make a sweet kill. "I thought you were going into work today anyway dad."

"I am…but your mom wants to check up on your uncle, and I think it would mean a lot if you went too." He groaned quietly but gently set his controller on the coffee table standing up quick. "Besides, you have physical therapy today. Your mom has to take you." He nodded taking an empty cereal bowl and walked to the kitchen. I stood up looking at Juliet who smirked and walked to the closet by the front door. I watched her pull a jacket on and wanted to reach out and hold her, because I could see it in her eyes, she was still really upset about her office. I didn't blame her. But for a second, I thought I had been her hero. I made her feel good and we held each other and kissed each other's pain away. But maybe that was just a cover up. And the second we came back down to Earth from cloud nine, reality hit her hard in the face. Her business was burned to the ground for an unknown reason. And I couldn't do anything to stop it.

"K I'm ready." I snapped out of my thoughts and watched Max walk to Juliet who held out a black jacket for him. He sighed but took it, handing a water bottle to her, as he slipped it on. When it was on he took the water bottle and opened the door for her, letting her walk out first. Max glanced over his shoulder, stepping out, but stopped, and frowned. "You alright dad?" I nodded quick and grabbed my keys by my chair and shoved my phone into my jeans walking to him.

Juliet sat in the passenger seat of her car, as I drove us not too far from our house. James and Logan lived very close, just a little higher up on the hill, in the super expensive houses. She held my one hand with both of hers and talked quietly with Max who was asking about what was gonna happen next to her business. She said bluntly she didn't know and hearing that broke my heart. Max did say he would help with whatever she needed, and it made her smile wide. I remained quiet, even as we pulled into the empty driveway of our friend's house. I got out of the car last and walked up behind Max and Juliet. Juliet got to the door quick and knocked softly three times. I could hear a muffled voice from the other side of the door and shoved my hands into the pockets of my jeans just as it opened. Everyone froze seeing Emily standing in the doorway, on crutches, still holding onto the door knob. The only person she looked at was Max who I could tell tensed up. I may have even tensed up too, seeing the hickey on her neck and gently reached out grabbing his shoulder, forcing a smile. "Hey Emily…can we come in?" Emily looked to me quick and shut her mouth slowly moving out of the way. I gently shoved Max who stepped in first and then set a hand on Juliet's back. I led her inside still smiling down at Emily just as Logan walked out of his dining room, holding a dish towel, grinning big. My smile fell as Emily walked past us and even her dad, into the room he just left. He sighed rolling his eyes and walked to Juliet.

"Hey guys. Sorry. She's moody right now because she's grounded with no phone and computer." Juliet pulled Logan in for a hug and I remained standing as Max moved forward and hugged his uncle after Juliet let him go. "Anyone want any coffee? Some muffins?" I frowned as he walked to me and he chuckled. "She's in there by herself if you wanna talk to her. I would say go easy on her, but I could care less either way." He patted my chest and turned gently pushing Juliet and Max to the couch. I followed him as he went into the dining room and braced myself for a very weird conversation I had to have.

She was sitting at the dining room table, quietly, writing something down in a purple notebook. She didn't look hearing her dad go to the kitchen and I stood awkwardly by the head of the table looking down at it. She was doing homework it looked like. For math. I cleared my throat and scratched the back of my neck as Logan walked by, a tray in hand with a plate of muffins a carafe probably with coffee, three coffee cups, and a container of creamer. He gave me a small smile before pushing the door open with his butt and walked out. As soon as he was gone I turned back to see Emily looking up at me with wide eyes. I cleared my throat again and walked to the chair across from her and sat down slowly. As soon as I was sitting I looked over at her, to see her head down, hands playing with her number two pencil. "Emily…"

"I know why you're here." I leaned forward a little and leaned against the table watching her look up at me with big doe chocolatey brown eyes. "Austin didn't mean to do it. I tried to tell him it wasn't worth it but…that guy had it coming. He kept calling me names and talking about my parents…Austin just wanted to scare the guy." I slouched a little and turned my head slightly.

"What are you talking about?" She froze, and I shook my head putting my arms on the table. "Emily…how much do you know about Austin?"

"Enough okay. I know my dads put you up to this to get me to dump him or whatever, but you don't intimidate me like you used to." I sighed out and looked down feeling my frustration rise. "Austin treats me really well. He said once we graduate he's gonna move to L.A. with me and support whatever I want to do. He's been saving a lot of money from his job. He has his own car. He's not a dead beat or anything like that."

"Where does he work?" She sat back huffing and threw her pencil onto the table crossing her arms over her chest. "Did you talk to him last night?"

"No. My dad took my phone away." We locked eyes again, but she leaned forward. "Why are you asking me about him? Did my parents ask you too?" I sat back as well and sighed out.

"No." She scrunched her nose and titled her head at me making me feel bad. "We have him on camera burning down Juliet's office building last night." Her mouth fell open slowly and I sat up reaching out one arm, touching her open math book. "If you know something about him that could help me you need to tell me right now." Her mouth closed quick, and she looked down. "Emily does he have a brother?" She nodded once, and I shot up quick walking around the table and effortlessly pulled her chair out from under the table. I squatted down in front of her and locked eyes with her as hers started to fill with tears. "Is his brothers name Shawn?" She closed her eyes tight and nodded letting tears fall out. "You need to tell me what you know about them."

"I can't." I reached up fast, standing and held the sides of her face. I titled it up to look at me and she did gasping quietly. "Austin said if his brother found out he told me anything he would hurt him." My adrenaline was starting to rise, and I squatted down again as she wiped her face shaking her head. "He didn't tell me a lot. But he said Shawn was going to hurt someone and if Austin didn't help, he would come after me and my parents." I frowned and slouched a little keeping one hand on the arm rest of her chair. "Austin thinks whoever he wants to hurt, is at the hospital." I looked up quick and she sobbed out throwing herself at me. Through tears, she quietly spoke. "Do you think, he was the one who hurt my daddy?" I stood up slowly, pulling her with me and held around her back feeling nothing but anger course through me.

"Yes sweetheart. I think he is." She sobbed louder, and I pulled her up tighter on me swallowing hard. "Where does Austin live?"

"Somewhere…somewhere downtown." I frowned remembering Carlos tell him he had an address somewhere close to the hospital. Which was no where near down town.

"Can you give me the exact address?" She nodded against my head and I gently let her go, putting her back in her seat. I put one hand on the back of her chair and leaned over her as she wrote quickly. She ripped the paper out of her notebook and handed me the piece. I quickly sat down in the chair next to her and pulled my phone out texting Carlos. I quickly gave him the address and he said he was only about a block away from it. He had a squad car with him and I gave the okay to go forward. I sat back putting my phone on the table and looked at Emily who was leaning on the table, the sleeves of her sweater around her closed fists. She had her chin resting on her fist looking straight ahead. I reached out gently and set my hand on the back of her head. "Did you ever meet Shawn?" She nodded not looking at me and I gently rubbed her head. "Did he say or do anything to you?" Her eyes closed fast and turned her head away from me. "Emily…you can tell me."

"One day…after school I went over to see Austin because he didn't show up for school. He was in bed, with a bruised eye and busted lip." I looked down shaking my head softly as she sat back pushing my hand down to the top of her chair. "I told him I could help him…two of my uncles are cops." I glanced up giving a pity smile and we locked eyes. "Shawn walked in…he freaked out Uncle Kendall. He told Austin no one could be in that house. He walked towards us, like he was going to hit Austin and I stepped in the way." I sat up feeling my stomach turn and she shook her head wiping under her nose. "He didn't do anything to me. Austin just grabbed me and told me to go home. That was the night I broke my foot. Austin and his friends didn't leave me out there." I frowned, and she shrugged. "Austin met me out there and I was seconds away from calling you and Carlos. But his brother showed up. Austin told me to run and hide and I fell and…well you know the rest of the story." I let out a hard breath and she gave me a pouty look, knowing she would be in trouble for lying. "I should have told someone, but I was worried about what Shawn would do to Austin. Austin said as soon as his brother gets his revenge on whoever, it would be okay again and we could be normal." I looked away from her fast hearing my phone ring and grabbed it quick seeing Carlos calling.

"Hello?"

"The apartment is empty Ken. I mean…no one is here. There are about a thousand pictures of your wife and Logan everywhere though." I stood up slowly and he sighed out. "We defiantly have our guys. We just have no idea where they are." I opened my mouth to tell him to start a man hunt for them just as Logan's voice came into the dining room.

"Kendall? Can you come out here please?" I gently handed Emily her crutches and walked in front of her pushing the door open keeping my phone to my ear. However, standing in the middle of the living room, with two shot guns pointed down at Juliet, Max, and Logan were two guys, with black ski masks on over their faces. When I appeared the taller of the two, turned the shot gun to me and I raised both hands quick. I kept the call going as the taller of the two started walking to me.

"End the phone call. And get on your knees." I swallowed hard ending the phone call and did exactly as I was told. I saw in the corner of my eye Juliet clutching onto Max who was looking wide eyed at me. Once I was on my knees, my phone was yanked out of my hands and without being able to stop it, the butt of the shot gun met my face hard, hitting me in the nose. I almost fell back but kept my head up and went to raise my hands to cover my obviously broken nose just the butt of the shot gun came into my face again, this time hitting the side, hard. As I started to fall to the ground, my vision going black I heard my wife scream and as I hit the ground, my eyes shut and there was nothing.


	18. Chapter 18: Silence

**Juliet's P.O.V.**

Fear is a very weird feeling. It's almost like a mix of adrenaline and anger, wrapped in a tight black suffocating blanket, with two shotguns pointed down at your face. And your sons face. And your best friends. It made me frozen. And mute. I could feel my son next to me, tense up. And I even felt him wrap his arms around me, one going around my stomach sort of pulling me back, behind him. The other wrapped around my back, but I couldn't feel his hand. I assumed he was gripping onto Logan, who was also clutching onto me. One of the men in the black ski mask, holding a shot gun asked Logan very quietly to call Kendall out to us. I remember Logan doing so. But waiting for Kendall to appear seemed like it took a billion years. When he did, we locked eyes, for a mere second. I wanted to run to him and hide behind his strong, big protective body. But he was hit hard in the face with the butt of the shotgun and then again to the side of the head. Just like that, Kendall was on the ground and my scream echoed through the house. I watched, as tears started to pour out of my eyes, the same man who hit Kendall grab Emily, roughly. She yelled out as her crutches fell out from under her, and the man pulled and pushed her to us on the couch. He tossed her like she was nothing. She fell forward, thankfully towards Max, who reacted quickly. He grabbed her and gently put her on the couch beside him. He put her face in his neck as she cried out and he looked over to me, pale. "You two…get up." I snapped my head to the men with the shotguns and felt panicked seeing they were pointing down to Logan and I. He took a step forward and quickly Logan stood up, pulling me with him. He put his body sort of in front of me, but I still looked over his shoulder seeing the shorter of the two guys grabbing a black duffle on the ground, opening it fast. "You try to run, or if you scream again…" The one still standing pointed the shot gun right at me and I clutched onto Logan hard putting my mouth, closed tight, on Logan's shoulder. "I will kill your children in front of you. Understand?" I nodded as Logan did, and the other man reappeared in front of us, holding two separate knots of thick rope. "Now…you two are going to tie these two up. And I don't want to see weak knots. I mean seriously tight. Break skin if you need too." Logan had rope shoved into his chest and so did I. It didn't hit me, that he meant for us to tie our children up, until one disappeared into the dinning room, but reappeared fast, with two chairs. I sobbed out quietly as I glanced down to Max who was looking up at the guys with the shot guns. I was gently pulled and walked next to Logan as the same man who grabbed the chairs moved forward fast and grabbed ahold of Emily. She screamed out clutching onto Max and Logan made a movement to go towards them, but the sound of the shot gun getting cocked made everyone go quiet. Max let Emily go and she was dragged by her hair to one of the chairs. I cried seeing her trying not to step on her casted, broken foot, and again clutched onto Logan. "Okay…get over here." Logan took one step but the man still pointing the shot gun at us and laughed quietly. "Not you dad." I tensed up seeing all the eyes fall on me and I took in a deep breath. I walked around Logan and slowly, still looking at the shot gun in my face, walked to Emily sitting in the chair, crying quietly. I cried quietly with her as I started to untangle the rope and looked down to my unconscious husband who was only feet from me. I must have been going too slow because I was shoved roughly and fell to my knees in front of Emily. The back of my head was grabbed making me drop the rope and reach to the hand on my head. "Tie her up tight. Remember…she broke your sons heart. You don't really care about what happens to her. She is nothing to you." I closed my eyes hearing Emily sob out quietly and my head was let go of, being shoved forward. "Let's go…get in the chair Max." I wanted so badly to look at my son, but I picked the rope up looking up at Emily's face as she cried down at me. With very shaky hands I started to wrap the rope around Emily's unhurt leg, pulling it close to the leg of the chair. Emily gasped out looking next to her, which made me look too. Max was sitting down, and Logan was in front of him, stone face, quickly unraveling the rope. "Wow…Logan looks eager to tie this kid, up doesn't he? Think there is a little bit of resentment here?" I looked back to my work and breathed out hard trying to stop my hands from shaking. But I couldn't. I was so afraid and so angry. Angry that these guys just rushed into the house and threatened my life and my families lives if we said anything. Afraid that if I made one wrong step, they would kill my only child. "Juliet you must really not care if your child dies!" He yelled it kind of loud and I sobbed out closing my eyes going faster with the rope. "How about this…" Before I had time to react, I was grabbed from behind, around my throat and picked up. "Finish that." I was pulled back roughly as a forearm wrapped tight around my neck and held me in place as he raised his shotgun at the four in front of us. I put my hands on the arm around my neck and scratched at it, getting nothing back from him. "It's going to destroy your husband when he finds out what has happened to his wife." He whispered it in my ear making me cry out quietly, slowly giving up on trying to get the arm off me. "I have to admit Logan…I'm impressed at how well you've done." We watched Logan stand up and turn to us giving me a blank look, still. "Don't do anything stupid." I was shoved roughly to Logan who caught me before I tripped over my shoes and landed in his arms. He held me up and put me behind his back as the masked man bent down and reached in the duffle bag. He reappeared with what looked like two black bandanas and walked to Max and Emily quick. The other man finished tying up Emily and stood up taking the bandanas from him quickly walking behind our two kids. First, he tied the bandana around Emily's mouth making her sob into it. He was quick with it. When he moved to Max, Max looked up at me and I cried out pulling on Logan, who simply held onto me as best he could. "Now…I need to make sure you two don't have any phones on you." I tensed up seeing the tall masked man turn to us and he chuckled. "Up against the door. Hands on the door, legs spread." I let Logan pull me to the door and turned me, putting my face against it. I raised my hands as Logan did and cried quietly hearing someone come up behind Logan. I closed my eyes seeing Logan getting grouped on his chest and didn't want to see him go any further down. It didn't take long for him to check Logan and before I knew it, a pair of hands was on me. Of course, they started at my breast. I opened my eyes feeling his hands squeeze a couple times onto each breast and let silent tears come out of my eyes. His hands slowly moved down my stomach and onto my hips. One hand went to my ass and shoved into my back-jean pockets. I tensed up as he roughly shoved into me, making me go flat against the door. I laid my head on the wood and looked at Logan who was now giving me a sad look. While the hand on my ass went to check my other pocket, his other hand dipped down between my legs and aggressively felt me up, between my legs. I closed my eyes making two tight fists and closed my mouth hard, so I wouldn't scream out. He seemed to be taking a little longer checking me than he did Logan and it was starting to make my stomach turn because his hands were not gentle.

"Alright! She doesn't have one on her! Get off her!" I opened my eyes fast to see Logan giving the man behind me a dirty look, and I was let go of fast. Logan was grabbed and turned quick. I raised my hands quick and covered my mouth as Logan got punched so hard in the face he fell into the door and slid down it, holding his mouth. I went to bend down and grab Logan but was again grabbed by my throat and shoved into the door beside Logan.

"Finish up in here. I'm going to take them out to the van." I was pulled aside as the front door opened and shoved out hard. I turned quick to see Max sitting in his chair crying, only looking at me. Before I could say anything to him, like I loved him, Logan was shoved out to me as well. I grabbed a hold of him and watched the masked man walk to us and shove us down the walk way. I held onto Logan as Logan held onto me and we were walked to a black van in the driveway. I swallowed hard as we slowed down approaching it and let the man open the back door quickly. When both doors were open he roughly shoved Logan inside and instead of letting him do the same to me, I climbed in the back and knelt next to Logan who was pushing himself up. Just as Logan was sitting on his butt, the doors slammed shut and we both turned to them, gasping quietly. I quickly climbed over to them and felt around for a handle, feeling nothing. I heard Logan behind me and glanced over my shoulder too see him jiggling a metal door that led up to the front where two seats were. I slowly sat down crying out quietly watching Logan get frustrated and hit the metal door hard. I pulled my legs up to my chest and hugged around them as he turned to me. He softened up a bit and crouched walked over to me, sitting down hard. He raised one arm and pulled me into him letting me clutch onto his shirt and cry out quietly.

"Who are they?" My voice was low, but he still heard it.

"It's Shawn. And I'm pretty sure the other guy is his brother. Austin." I pushed away just a little and looked at Logan. The only light we had coming into the back where we were seated was from up in the front where the steering wheel was. But I could still see the fear in his eyes. "I don't know why their doing this but…" He was cut off by the driver door being opened and a body climbing in fast. The door slammed shut hard and we both watched the mask get pulled off his head and tossed to the floor between the two seats. I saw Logan open his mouth to say something, but again was cut off. By three loud shot gun blasts echoing from the house, into the back of the van. I froze in my spot hearing nothing and watched as the driver pulled out a cigarette and lit it, taking in a deep breath. Like nothing happened. But when the passenger side door opened, and the person got in, putting the black duffle between the two seats, along with both shot guns, the scream I had been holding in, came out. Logan grabbed ahold of me and put me in his chest as the two-up front, now both without their masks on, looked back to us. Automatically I recognized Shawn in the driver's seat and closed my eyes felling my body start to shake.

"Now that you two know how fucking serious I am, why don't we take a little road trip?"

"Fuck you." Logan's voice was strong and brave. But it didn't matter. Shawn laughed and turned back to the front starting the van. Austin however remained looking back at us, smiling.

"I'm not sorry I killed Max and that dirty fucking pig cop." I screamed again throwing my face into Logan's chest as he clutched onto me, gently petting through my hair. "I am sorry about Emily though. Although…" I opened my eyes feeling Logan start to release the hold of his muscles in his body and saw Austin still smiling wide at us. "It was great I was able to get in her pants so easily. Do you know how manipulative your daughter is? Or rather was?" He smirked one last time before looking forward at the road we were speeding down. "Do you think whoever he was talking to on the phone heard your voice?" I felt my whole body go cold hearing them start to talk like they didn't just kill three people.

"Even if whoever he was talking to, heard me, they wouldn't have recognized my voice. Besides…" I watched as Shawn handed the cigarette over to his brother and let Logan push into me. "No one is going to realize they are gone for another 5 maybe 10 minutes. When they finally get to that house they will see the dead bodies and worry about that before anything else." Austin nodded handing the cigarette back to Shawn who I saw look at us over his shoulder. "Please tell me you have figured all this out by now. I know you're not stupid." Logan turned away fast, eyes closed, and I pulled him into me, both of us clutching onto each other tight. "No…let's see if I can help without giving too much away. I want you to be surprised!" I cringed hearing how insane he sounded and closed my eyes resting my head on Logan's. "Let's see…12 years ago I was 22, in medical school…Austin was only five and our baby sister was just a few months old." I felt Logan move around me and opened my eyes seeing him looking up to the front. "My parents, although had their faults, were not bad people. Some people become doctors to provide for their family. Some must sell drugs just to buy a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread. My parents were the latter." I swallowed hard never forgetting that they just said they killed my husband and son, but having a hard time not listening to this story. "They always got in trouble with the law. Our dad was in and out of prison. Our mother had to sleep with random guys to keep the lights on, while trying to take care of a five-year-old and a new born baby. I did what I could. I watched over Austin a lot. He had his own bed at my apartment, but I couldn't take care of my baby sister with school and Austin. She stayed with my parents. Up until the night my parents were murdered in front of her and taken from us." I perked up feeling like this story was starting to sound familiar. Logan looked to me quick and any color left in his face was gone. "One cop, I found out, pulled the trigger killing both my mother and father. Can you guess who that could have been Juliet?" I covered my mouth seeing Logan close his eyes and I pushed deeper into Logan. "Instead of reaching out to me for me to raise my baby sister, they took her to the hospital where two perfect, saint like fags decided they would be the best thing for her. Can you figure out who they were Logan?" Logan opened his eyes slowly as tears started pouring out. "You two…your families destroyed mine. So, I'm going to destroy yours." He slammed on the breaks hard making Logan and I lurch forward just a bit. I let Logan lock his fingers with mine as Austin got out slamming his door shut hard behind him. I glanced out the front window and watched Austin unlock a gate, leading to a huge house on a hill. Not too far away from Logan and James's house. Shawn slowly went through the now open gate and I looked to Logan seeing him staring right at me.

"I'm sorry." I shook my head roughly and pulled him into me hugging him tight. "I'm not going to let them do anything to you. I promise." I sobbed quietly closing my eyes, feeling the van stop again. "I'm so sorry Juliet." The back doors of the van were pulled open hard making us separate quick.

"Take her up to my room." I tensed up watching Austin, who had a crazy look on his face, reach in and grab my legs. I started to struggle holding onto Logan who tried his hardest to keep holding me, but Shawn appeared and quickly reached in, grabbing around Logan's throat. I screamed and kicked and tried to fight him to let me go. But it was no use. I was picked up and dragged half by my hair, and half by my arm up to the old, gross looking house. I fought the whole time as I watched Logan get thrown onto the ground by the van just to have Shawn step on his back and start talking down to him. I screamed one last time as I was pulled into the house, hoping someone, anyone heard me, but no one could have. Especially because the front door was slammed shut hard in front of me, putting me in complete darkness and silence.


	19. Chapter 19: Revenge

**James's P.O.V.**

"We all know eventually Logan is going to be running this place. And that will make you a very lucky man." I smirked as I sipped from my big plastic water bottle holding the few files under my arm as I walked down the hall with another surgeon who was a bit older than me, and a nurse who just assisted in a surgery of mine. David, the other surgeon had just asked me how Logan was doing with what happened yesterday and I told him fine. I didn't honestly believe that. And Annie, my nurse, was trying to tell me in my marriage, I was the lucky one. I did sincerely believe that. "You know Dr. Brennen is getting up there in age." I lowered my water bottle from my lips and glared at David as he pulled open a door for both Annie and I. "They are going to start looking for a replacement for hospital director. I honestly think Logan would be the best bet."

"The next time you see Logan make sure you tell him that. It will further stroke his huge ego." David laughed waving to both Annie and I as he went down a separate hall towards his office. I shook my head looking down at Annie who was reapplying some Chapstick on her ruby red lips and opened my mouth. I was going to ask her if she wanted to join me in a late lunch, just as the intercom came on over head us, and blared my name.

"Dr. Diamond. Extension 5. Dr. Diamond. Extension 5." I sighed out quickly walking to a random nurse's station in the hall way we were in and reached over the counter smiling big at the male nurse glaring at me. I quickly picked up the phone and hit 5 standing up straight.

"Hello? Is this James Diamond?"

"Yes, this is him."

"Hello Mr. Diamond. It's Miss Abbigail Foster, Sammy's teacher." I frowned leaning against the counter and shoved my hand in my scrub pocket. "I was just trying to get ahold of your husband and didn't get any response so I'm calling you." Annie touched my arm gently and motioned to the hallway we were walking down, and I nodded watching her walk away.

"Okay…is everything alright?"

"Well I'm not sure. I know every day your daughter Jessie comes across the street to wait with Sammy to get picked up, and they are still here." My stomach flipped, and I stood up fast, immediately feeling my pockets for my phone. When I didn't feel it, I swallowed hard. "Do you have someone picking them up?"

"Uhm…Yeah…I'll be there in 5 minutes." I hung up without hearing her say goodbye and started walking down the hall towards the stairs that went down one floor, to my office. I nearly jumped down the long flight of stairs, and shoved the door open hard running down the hallway to my office. I flicked the light on by my door and took my stethoscope off around my neck and tossed it to my desk walking to the wardrobe cabinet that had my messenger bag in it, with my car keys. I put my bag over my shoulder and turned walking back out of my office. I opened my bag, heading for the doors to get to the parking garage, and shoved things around, looking for my phone. It made sense. Me not having my phone on me. That's why I hadn't heard from Logan. But, as I stepped out into the parking garage giving up on finding my phone, knowing it would turn up eventually, I knew if Logan was having a hard time, He'd call the hospital. And I knew Kendall and Carlos were going over there this morning, so I knew he would be looked over for a while. Also, Emily was home. So, either they both were asleep and forgot they had to pick up Sammy and Jessie, or…

I shoved the thought out of my head as I took the stairs to the third floor of the parking garage going up to my car. I got in it quick, glancing around the center console as I started my car and pulled my seatbelt on. I didn't see my phone in my car, and quickly drove out of my parking spot, heading out of the garage.

I wasn't worried. I knew there was a good, not scary reason for Logan and Emily not picking up the kids. I wasn't going to panic. Not until I knew what was happening. The army taught me that. To not over react and jump to conclusions without all the facts. Well, being a surgeon helped that mindset too, but I learned it while in the service. I kept myself calm even as I pulled up to the elementary school Sammy went to and saw both him and Jessie sitting on a bench, under a tree, looking at one of his many little books. I parked and got out of my car smiling big at Jessie as she saw me walk towards them. "Daddies here." Sammy looked up quick and gasped out shoving the book at his sister. I laughed squatting down quick and let him run into me. I wrapped an arm around his back pack on his back while the other held under his legs. Jessie walked to me raising her phone and squinted at me. "Why do we have phones if no one is going to answer?" I glared at her knowing that was one of my many famous lines, especially to her older sister, and walked her to the car.

"You tried calling your dad, or sister? I can't find my phone."

"Yeah a couple times actually. But no one answered." I nodded as I slid Sammy into the backseat of my four door BMW, into his booster seat making sure he was buckled in tight, while Jessie got in the passenger seat up front. Once I deemed Sammy safe, I shut his door and went to mine waving softly to, I assumed Sammy's teacher, and got in quick. "Is everything alright dad?"

"Yeah. I think your dads head is hurting him." She nodded slowly looking out the window and I drove off, looking in the rearview mirror at Sammy who was playing with an action figure he probably found in the back seat. "How was school bud?"

"Fun! I got to pet a bunny rabbit!" I laughed merging into traffic and sat back relaxing a little bit. "I want to be an animal doctor when I get older daddy. Like you and poppa, but with animals instead!" I nodded looking back at him again and saw him digging through his backpack. "Can I get a bunny rabbit?"

"Maybe. We'll ask poppa."

"Chicken." I glared over at Jessie who smiled wide at me shrugging. "That's why we always go to you first when we want something. Because we know you'll say yes. You're a big softie."

"Of excuse me for loving you brats too much." Jessie laughed loudly throwing her head back and I smirked.

I made small talk with my two kids as I drove us to the house, feeling my stomach growl. Sammy told me more about his day and Jessie started telling me about her solar system project she got assigned today, just as I pulled down our street to our house. I hit the breaks hard seeing a yellow police tape line squared around my house with three police cars blocking my driveway. I felt my heart drop into my toes as I quickly pulled over to the side of the road and parked in front of my neighbor's house. I unclicked my seatbelt seeing Juliet's car, and Carlos's mustang in the driveway and started to panic. "Daddy?" I looked over to Jessie quick and then to Sammy in the back who was sitting up straight to look at the scene around our house.

"Go to Mr. and Mrs. Johnson's house and stay there until I come get you."

"But dad…"

"Now Jessie. Take your brother and go." I got out of my car quick and slammed the door hearing hers open behind me. I ducked under the police line and jogged across my huge grass lawn and sucked in a hard breath seeing a cop standing guard at my front door. "Where is my husband? And daughter?" The cop stood up straight as I got in front of him and opened his mouth. But hearing Emily's voice made my heart skip a beat.

"Daddy?!" I quickly shoved past the cop, aggressively shoving him and went inside my house. I stopped immediately seeing my daughter on our couch, being held by Max who looked pale. And like he had been crying. "Daddy! Someone took poppa! And Aunt Juliet!" I walked forward fast and got on the other side of Emily, sitting down hard. I pulled her into me letting her cry openly on my chest. I looked at Max as he stood up and quickly walked out of the living room to the dining room. As I watched him walk away I saw bullet holes in the huge family picture hanging above the fire place. I pulled my daughter harder into me then seeing the rope on two chairs in the middle of the room. I told my brain, now is the right time to panic.

"What…what happened Em's?" I pushed her head off me softly and held it up still wiping under her eyes as she cried out, closing her eyes.

"James?" I turned my head slightly and watched Carlos walk into the room, Max behind him. Carlos quickly sat down on the coffee table in front of me and Max took his seat beside Emily again. Emily cried out and threw herself into Max who looked only at Carlos. I turned to him and felt my throat swell. "Logan and Juliet were taken by Shawn and his brother Austin. We don't know where they are but we're looking for them right now. We went to their apartment and found picture after picture of Logan and Juliet along with serious hate mail to Kendall and you." I slouched a little shaking my head and Carlos gave me a sad look shrugging. "We have no idea why. We don't know anything except what Emily told Kendall." I snapped my head to Emily who was crying with her eyes closed clutching onto Max and took in a deep breath.

"Where is Kendall?" I looked back to Carlos and he nodded to my dining room, and I stood up fast. I walked to it, shoving the door open hard. I ignored the three cops siting at my table and continued out to my backyard seeing Kendall sitting in one of our lawn chairs, head down. He had his elbows on his knees, and both hands locked behind his head. He had his back to me, but I still could tell he was crying. As I walked out to him quietly shutting the glass door behind me I swallowed hard hearing him sniffle. As I got closer to him I saw his legs bouncing up and down, and a pack of cigarettes down at his feet. "Ken…" Kendall jumped up fast and turned to me, fists clenched down at his sides. I gasped and stepped forward fast seeing his nose bandage and both corners of his eyes, black and blue. He also had a bandage on the side of his head, by his temple. "What the fuck happened?"

"Those two fuckers came into your house, beat me and took my wife and your husband. Max told me…he said they were not gentle with either of them and all I want to do is go out and find them, so I can put a bullet between their eyes." I reached up to touch his nose, which looked broken, but he shook his head fast and turned, walking over towards the small concrete area that had two basketball hoops. "I let them take them. It's my fault. If something happens to her…it's my fault. If something happens to Logan, it's my fault." I frowned bending over slightly and picked up his pack of cigarettes. I went to work on lighting one, and once I did I tossed the package on the empty chair he was sitting in and inhaled deeply and slowly closing my eyes. As I exhaled and opened my eyes I saw he was watching me like he was worried I was going to lose my mind. I was surprised I wasn't already.

"Why didn't anyone call me?" He laughed and shoved his hands in his jeans looking down.

"We tried. I even had them call the hospital. But we were told you were in surgery. And then no one called us back." I nodded and breathed out hard flicking my cigarette and glanced over my shoulder hearing the glass door open.

"So…what now?" I looked back to him to see it was just Carlos and Max and he shrugged while also shaking his head. "Do we have any leads or anything?" Kendall opened his mouth just as Carlos got to me, and Max walked to his dad.

"Actually…we do." I turned to Carlos inhaling deep and he raised his phone, shaking it. "I just got a text from the guys who were at Shawn's apartment. They found some interesting files in there. I guess Shawn and Austin's parents were killed about 12 years ago. During a police raid of a drug dealers pen." I frowned looking over to Kendall who was walking towards us, Max very close. "The two suspects, uhm their parents, were killed dead when they tried to shoot first. A tiny baby girl was found on the scene, skin and bones. She was adopted a day later by two doctors." I swallowed hard and he shook his head looking right at Kendall. "We were the officers first on the scene. And James and Logan were the ones who adopted that baby girl. Jessie." I also looked to Kendall who, finally looked like the bad ass cop I knew.

"Their doing this for revenge?" Kendall looked at me before looking to Carlos and nodding his head up at him once. "Do you remember the address of that meth house?" Carlos nodded slowly, and Kendall sighed out looking back over at me. "I think I know where they took them."

"Can I come?" We all looked to Max and Kendall simply grabbed the back of his neck and started walking back to my house. I followed fast and walked next to Carlos flicking the cigarette down to my feet.

"If he gets to go, I'm going too."

"Both of you are staying. Emily needs you here James." Kendall said it matter of fact and pushed Max into the house going right to my dining room table. "Do you guys have any extra gear in your cars?" One of the male officers nodded and stood up fast. "Get me it. And call two more cars out to this address to watch Mr. Diamond and his kids, and Max."

"Dad come on…" Kendall ignored Max again and turned to Carlos.

"Are you able to get strapped up?" Carlos grinned big and nodded pushing past him, going to my living room.

"Dad!" Kendall turned to Max quick and we all went quiet. "Is mom going to be okay?" Max said it through tears and It broke my heart. It made me want to go out to my own child and hold her. And then get my other kids and just hold them. I quickly patted Max shoulder as I walked past him, and Kendall pulled him into a hard hug. As soon as I walked out into my living room I went to the couch and put Emily in my arms. She wasn't crying anymore but still held onto me like she was terrified. I looked over to the cop standing at my door and cleared my throat.

"Can you get my kids next door? Sammy and Jessie?" The cop nodded, giving me a sad smile as he turned, and another cop stood in his place. "Uncle Kendall and Carlos are going to go get poppa okay?" She nodded against my chest and I closed my eyes slowly. "Everything is going to be fine."

Even as I said, I didn't believe it.


	20. Chapter 20: I Love You

**Logan's P.O.V.**

Somewhere in this huge, gross, dirty, and dark house one of my best friends…a woman I considered a sister was being hurt. Hurt to the point that she was screaming and crying, to only be silenced by the sound of what I assumed was one of them slapping her. After being tossed around and hit several times, and thrown in a small dirty bathroom, all I could do for her was pray. Pray someone heard us or saw us being shoved into the back of a van. Like one of our neighbors. But no one did. At least I don't think anyone did. Because what felt like hours had passed. And still no one was coming to help us. No one was on their way to stop these sick mental patients from hurting Juliet. It made me hopeless. Being tied to a pipe by a very dirty toilet didn't help me feel better either.

I tried hard to fight. Honest. I kicked and swung a couple times on Shawn, but he was a lot bigger than me. And stronger. He could grab around my throat and throw me like I was a rag doll. That hurt my pride a lot. I just thought about all those times James asked if I wanted to go to the gym with him, and I said no. I should have. Maybe I would have been able to fight off Shawn and Austin. But I didn't, and I couldn't. I just let them drag her up stairs after hitting me three times in the face and tying me up in the bathroom with my hands behind my back. I was stuck there. The rope was tight around my wrists and all I could do was pull my legs up to my chest and wait. And listen to the screams of Juliet. They were relentless. Every second…minute and hour that passed her screams seemed to get quieter. They still happened but whatever they were doing to her, it was tearing her down. She sounded exhausted. The fear wasn't in her voice any more every time she told them to stop or she said no. The fear being gone from her, meant she was giving up. She was submitting. Maybe that's what they wanted. I wouldn't put it past them If they were this sick to wait 12 years to go after a cop and two doctors who were just doing what was right, making Juliet go through a mind fuck wouldn't be too farfetched.

I got so lost in my thoughts, I hadn't realized there was no noise coming into my locked room. The house was quiet. Juliet wasn't screaming or crying anymore. It made me sick. Maybe they killed her. They already killed my daughter and my best friend and nephew. It's what the plan was all along. They were going to eventually kill all of us. And with Juliet now quiet, I just figured it was finally happening. And next they would come for me. Just as I laid my head back on the wall behind me, relaxing just a bit, I heard a key go into the lock of the door and tensed up. I swallowed hard when the door opened, and Shawn came walking in. He was shirtless, just in a pair of black jeans. He was holding a huge, long knife and as he got closer to me, making me shrink down and start to fear death, he smiled. "Comfy down there?" He squatted down quick and reached behind me for the rope tied to the pipe. I closed my eyes as he put his face right next to mine and quickly cut the rope. I stupidly thought my hands were free and tried to push him away, but he simply cut the rope connecting the other rope from my wrist to the pipe. He grabbed my left arm with his other hand and picked me up fast. I opened my eyes as he pulled me out of the room laughing to himself. If I didn't think this guy was fucking nuts before, he was doing a bang-up job making me know for sure. He dragged me down a long hallway out into the dark living room I was thrown into after he kicked me and beat me outside next to his van. I was shoved again but remained standing seeing Juliet laying curled up into a ball in the middle of the floor. It looked like she had her bra and panties on still. She was shivering and had bruises on her back and her legs from what I could see of them. I wanted to run to her and see if she was breathing but the hair on the back of my head was grabbed and both the back of my knees were hit with something hard, making me fall forward to my knees. "We didn't want you to miss the show Logan." My head was let go of, and Shawn walked around me right to Juliet. He roughly kicked into her stomach making her moan out and roll onto her back. I gasped quietly feeling tears come out of my eyes seeing her face. Both her eyes were almost shut closed from being puffy and bruised. She had been hit several times in the face, I could tell. But not just because of her eyes. Her bottom lip was bloody and swollen. Her nose was bleeding and there was a cut over her left cheek. "I'm kind of surprised at how poorly she's doing. Because she was married to that pig for so long, I would have thought she'd be stronger." I glanced up to see Shawn looking down at her, disgusted. In his left hand was the knife and, in his right, was a metal bat. Shawn looked up at me and smiled big again shaking his head. "Don't you think this is justice? My parents are killed, and I'm going after the murderers who did it."

"She had nothing to do with it you sick fuck." My voice was small, but he still heard it. He laughed out loud at this and stepped over Juliet, who was barely moving now. "Your parents are dead. Nothing you do now will bring them back." I knew I was going to be hit and clenched up as his fist swung hard into my stomach. I lurched forward onto his shoulder and groaned out loud closing my eyes.

"I'm not trying to bring them back Logan. I'm trying to bring your family, and her family just a slice of the pain and misery I went through at the hands of Officer Kendall Knight. And I want you to spend your last minutes on earth knowing that little girl you took from me will finally be with her right family." I was hit in the stomach again hearing a floor board creak just as a huge thunderclap shook the house making me open my eyes.

"It's filled." Shawn pushed me back while also standing and dragged me with him. I was shoved roughly to Austin who was wearing a big coat, also holding a small hand gun. He grabbed around my arms tied in the back and made me watch Shawn as he picked Juliet up. I was surprised at how gentle he was. He picked her up under her arms and quickly put one arm around his neck, while one of his arms wrapped around her slim waist. He started walking towards a part of the house I had never been too and was shoved to follow. I glanced to the ground seeing broken glass and avoided it. We walked past a dimly lit kitchen that smelled of rotten food and then pushed outside, to a backyard. As I looked up, shivering feeling rain drops hit my face, I saw an over grown lawn, with a rusty swing set. And to my horror, a pool filled to the brim, which Shawn and Juliet were walking too. I was stopped a few feet from them but tried to go further seeing him going to the deep end now only holding a knife.

"How about this Logan?" Shawn stood at the edge of the pool, Juliet in front of him, still holding around her waist. Her head was resting back on his shoulder and form my spot, I could see her eyes closed. But she was still breathing. I saw her chest rising and falling very slowly. "I'm going to give you one ultimatum and you have a very short window of time to give me an answer." My arms were gripped tight behind me and I looked square at Shawn who raised the knife to Juliet's throat. "I'll kill her…right here, right now, and leave your family alone. Besides taking my sister back of course." I clenched my jaw hard and shivered feeling the wind picking up speed. "Or…I'll put her down carefully, kill you and still, obviously, take my little sister back." I let a few tears fall out of my eyes and he shook his head. "You can't honestly tell me your life isn't more important than hers? You're a doctor for fucks sake. She's a fashion designer. Well…not with her building burned down but…"

"I'd rather you kill me before you hurt her anymore." I hated how quickly my brain made me say that, but it got him to lower the knife from her throat. "Go ahead! Do it you fucking pussy!" I yelled lunging forward, still being held and to my horror I saw him raise the knife again, to her throat. "No!" Before I could take another step or make another sound my arms were let go of and a gun came into my peripheral vision. I snapped my head to the right quick and gasped quietly seeing Kendall walking forward, gun raised, body completely tense and strong looking.

"Drop the knife you fucking asshole." I looked back to Shawn and saw that same stupid smile come across his face. He started to lower the knife, but Kendall kept his gun raised and took one step forward. Just as he did I watched, almost like it was in slow motion, Shawn pushed the knife deep into Juliet's chest. As soon as he did Kendall pulled the trigger on his gun and both Shawn and Juliet feel into the water. I screamed out, probably as loud as I ever have and fell to my knees. I closed my eyes feeling my arms getting pulled, softly and screamed out again. I heard the splash of water and opened my eyes seeing I was doubled-over screaming into the dirt underneath me.

"Logan…Logan look at me." I was gently pulled up hearing Carlos's soft voice and watched him kneel beside me. I quickly looked to the pool to see a body floating at the top and cried out quietly as Carlos untied my hands. Once he did I shot up fast and ran to the edge of the pool. There was a lot of leaves, and dirt in it, but I still saw a figure at the bottom. "Get that ambulance up here…Logan are you alright?" I felt his hand on my face as he tried to turn it to him, but I shoved him away getting down on my knees seeing the figure at the bottom coming up to the surface. I reached out my hand see Kendall emerge, gasping quietly. He had Juliet in his arms, the knife still in her chest. He swam over to us, pale as a ghost and gently handed her up to me. Carlos helped me pull her out and as soon as she was in my arms, I gently laid her on the dirt and put my ear to her mouth.

"Where is his brother?" I heard a soft breath leave Juliet's mouth and sat up straight looking at the knife lodged in her chest.

"Custody…Logan you need to get checked out." I felt a hand on my back but shimmied it off grabbing the knife and quickly throwing it to the side. I then quickly put one hand over the wound and looked over to Kendall who was kneeling next to his still wife. He reached out slowly and pushed hair off her face bending down to her face softly.

"Kendall…" He looked up at me, a tear coming out of his eye. "Her breathing is really slow. I need to get her to a hospital." He nodded looking back down just as she groaned under us. I looked down quick and watched her eyes flutter open as best as they could from being so swollen. "Juliet…can you hear me?" I went closer to her face and saw her nod turning her head away from me.

"Kendall?"

"I'm right here baby." Kendall quickly put one hand under her head while the other grabbed her hand down at her side by him. "I got you…you're going to be okay. You're okay."

"My chest hurts…I'm really cold. And feel…weak." She said it through pained breaths making me glance over my shoulder seeing cops just standing there while a siren could be heard off in the distance. "Am I dying?" I snapped my head back to her and bit my bottom lip seeing her bottom lip quivering looking at Kendall.

"No. No you are not baby. You're going to be fine. Just look at me alright." I raise my hand off her chest carefully and swallowed hard seeing the blood coming out of the hole in the middle of her chest. "Logan do something." I glanced over to Kendall and softly shook my head.

"I can't Kendall." He looked back down quick and so did I, seeing Juliet looking up at the rain hitting her face hard.

"I don't feel right…I feel like…" She stopped slowly raising her head and gasped quietly. I know, even though the rain was washing the blood off her, she still saw it. She laid her head back down on Kendall's hand and her chest started to rise and fall faster under my hand. "Oh my God…" Her breathing picked up speed and I saw her blinking her eyes fast. "Kendall…"

"Logan do something!"

"She's going into shock Kendall. We need to get her to a hospital!" I turned my head again hearing fast footsteps just as Juliet spoke again.

"I love you Kendall. And I love Max so much." I looked back down to her seeing her breathing starting to slow down again and I felt panicked. She turned her head closer to Kendall and quietly sobbed out closing her eyes. "It hurts…please make it stop." I also sobbed out hearing the wheels of a gurney and pressed harder into her chest. She raised her hand from Kendall's hand, and gently touched his cheek. He cried out, bending down closer to her face and kissed her head just as someone touched my shoulder and knelt beside me. It was a paramedic who quickly replaced my hand, with his gloved one. I sat back watching the second paramedic touch Kendall who violently shoved at the guy, and still held onto his wife. I crawled over Juliet's body and grabbed Kendall, nodding up to the paramedic. Once I had my arms around Kendall and started to pull him back, the paramedic bent down and they both carefully started to move Juliet to the gurney that was pushed down low to the ground beside them. Kendall sort of collapsed into me but I stood us up and held him still as they quickly pushed her towards the side gate that was wide open. I let a sob leave my mouth watching her leave, and not knowing if she was alive still. Just as the sob left my mouth Kendall turned around to me and without warning pulled me into him hard. I wrapped around his back fast and shoved my face into his cold, wet neck. I sobbed and screamed into him, feeling my legs go weak underneath me gripping onto him for support. I wanted to collapse and try to forget about what just happened but hearing him also cry over top of me made me stand up straight and just hold my best friend, as he held me, in the rain storm.


	21. Chapter 21: Death

**Kendall's P.O.V.**

No words could ever describe how hard it is to see your wife get stabbed and pull her unconscious body from a pool. No words could ever express how angry I am. Or how sad I am. No one was saying it, but we all knew it. Juliet was dead, her body fell limp around me. Putting her in an ambulance expecting her to magically be okay, was a joke. A joke that pissed me off. If I didn't have Logan to take care of, and make sure he was taken care of, I would have grabbed Austin and emptied my magazine into his skull. But his screams and cries led me to believe that with Juliet dead, Logan was just as messed up about it as I was. And maybe it was worse. Because he was here with her, while they beat her, and God knows what else. What did they do to him? He seemed to be able to walk, since he had to take me to the ambulance with him. He had some cuts on his face, his lips was bleeding and so was his nose. His wrists had rope marks around them and once inside the ambulance, with him getting checked out by the paramedic while they drove us quickly to the hospital, probably behind Juliet's, I saw how hurt he wasn't. He was sitting up and complained about his stomach being hit a few times, but other than that…he was fine. I sat back, cold and wet a little pissed off at him. Not like I would ever tell him, but I thought it was pretty fucked up he got to walk away from that crime scene, while my wife was wheeled away, dead.

Yes, I honestly believed she was dead. She was beaten closed to it from what I could tell and then had a knife shoved into her chest. No one could survive that. But instead of being happy Shawn was dead, and Austin in custody, I regretted not pulling the trigger as soon as I saw him holding my wife up. For the rest of my miserable life I was going to remind myself it was my fault, and my fault only that she died. I should have been better and faster. I should have never let her be taken in the first place. All my fault. "Kendall?" I raised my head, not remembering when I let it fall to my chest and looked up to see Logan giving me a concerned look. He bit his bottom lip, looking down and shook his head. "They want me to get checked out by a doctor…can you come with me?" I nodded once standing up, realizing we were at the hospital. I got out, carefully helping Logan down next to me. I wrapped around his shoulders and walked us into the hospital ignoring the looks of the people around me. The only one I cared to see was Carlos. He was standing with the two paramedics who took Juliet from me and my anger felt like it was rising. When we got to them Carlos gave Logan a small smile and put a hand on his shoulder.

"They have a room set up for you. You aren't allowed to leave until you get the okay from a doctor. Who isn't you." Logan looked down, but I continued looking at Carlos who then turned to me, smile gone. "Juliet was in shock on the ride over here but had a pulse." I let Logan go and quickly turned to walk back out side. "Kendall it's my fault." I paused looking out the huge double doors looking out to the ambulance drop off. "When we went into the meth house 12 years ago, I pulled the trigger, killing Mathew, their dad. He had his gun raised to you, I did what I had to do." I put my hands on my hips turning slowly and saw Carlos looking at me, near tears. Logan had a hand on his shoulder but was looking at me. "I was there…but they never came after me. Do you know why?"

"Carlos I…"

"Because I forgot to do my paperwork, remember? You filled all yours out and let me just sign off on it. But I didn't sign off saying I was there. I was your superior officer then, so I didn't have too." My mouth parted slightly, and he took a step towards me. "Because I was the superior officer than I got all the paper work first. I saw that these people had two other children. A 22-year-old and a five-year-old boy. All I could think was how much better off that little girl would have been with James and Logan and not them. I destroyed the records of the older brother, who would have been the rightful guardian." I saw Logan's hand drop from Carlos's shoulder and my anger reached its boiling point. "I saw how happy James and Logan were when they were told they could adopt that little girl. All I knew was I couldn't let my friends be hurt by that and I wasn't going to let two meth heads 22-year-old kid raise a little girl like that. I…" I walked forward quick and grabbed Carlos by the scruff of his shirt and viciously shoved him against the wall behind him.

"My wife is dead because of your stupid fucking mistake!" I was pushed back quick and Logan got between us, helping Carlos stand up straight. "You were not the person who should have made that call! That wasn't your job and now my wife is dead, and Logan is beaten because you wanted to make your friends happy!" Carlos bent over, putting his hands on his knees and coughing out. "Get the fuck out of here Carlos! I don't want to see you again!" I spun fast, shoving past two male nurses who looked like the ones who pushed me off Carlos. A few people tried to stop me from walking, but I continued to shove past them and walk further into the hospital.

As I walked, I suddenly had the urge to see Juliet, even if she was dead, and calmly asked a nurse where she was. She gave me a worried look, but led me down a few halls, until she stopped me in front of a double door, and told me not to go in. I looked in through the glass cut outs and swallowed hard seeing several people huddled over a table. I assumed my wife was lying on it. Not like it mattered. I knew she was dead. If not dead, she was going to die. No one would be able to survive those wounds.

I sat down in the hallway on the floor. I was against a wall opposite the swinging doors and raised my legs, putting my outstretched arms on them. I just stared up at the doors, not knowing what else to do. I wanted to call James and tell him Logan was okay. I wanted to call Max and tell him I was sorry I let his mother die. But I couldn't move. I couldn't do anything except sit completely still against the wall and wait. I knew I had tears coming out of my eyes but didn't do a damn thing to stop them. I know every single person who walked past me was giving me an odd look, but no one said anything. I could have sworn I heard Logan's voice from around the corner of the wall I was sitting against but remained still, looking up at those doors. No one came out of them, or went in them for 20, maybe 30 minutes. And if Logan hadn't sat next to me and forced my right arm up I would have fallen asleep looking at the doors. I didn't necessarily feel tired, but with no reason to do anything without Juliet, sleep was the next best thing.

But Logan did sit next to me. And he forced my arm up so he could snuggle into my body. I let him because in the corner of my eye I saw a white bandage on his nose, just like the one I had. It was easy to forget that he was there with Juliet too. Because she was dead, and he wasn't. Again, I would never tell Logan I was upset he wasn't dead or as hurt as he should have been, but it's what I felt. "James is on his way over." I put my head back on the wall behind me and closed my eyes letting him lock one of his hands with my hand that he wrapped around him. "I asked him to leave the kids at the house. He said Max put up a fight but they all stayed. And Carlos had one of your uniformed officers stay with them, just in-case…"

"He fucks up again and destroys another person's life." Logan sighed under me and I chuckled opening my eyes seeing a doctor walk past us giving us an odd look. "Smart to not let the kids come here. I don't know how I'm going to tell Max his mother is dead."

"God damnit Kendall." Logan shoved at me hard and I turned to him frowning. "They had me locked in a bathroom, tied to a pipe for hours while I heard her scream and beg for them to stop. Do you know what they did to me?" I shook my head softly and he pointed to his face. "They hit me a couple times. They kicked me and threw me around. But the worst thing they did was force me to listen. Leaving me close enough to hear her scream, but far enough away so I couldn't do anything to stop it. I sat in that disgusting bathroom and prayed and waited for it to end. For them to come to me and get it over with. Because the real torture was waiting to be killed. It was waiting to hear that final gun shot or watch her get stabbed." He gasped out looking over to the swinging doors and shook his head. "I can't imagine what it's like to watch the love of your life be hurt like that. But I know feeling hopeless, and thinking she's going to die, doesn't help." He sat back against the wall and wiped at the few tears that fell out of his eyes. "Shawn and Austin did what they did because in their eyes it was justice. But it didn't change what happened. Just like you acting like an asshole to your best friend, and thinking the worse, isn't going to change what happened." He huffed out pulling his legs up to his chest and glanced over to me, completely blank. "And if you don't change your fucking attitude I'm going to leave you all alone and let you be a miserable prick by yourself." He turned back to the door and I slowly lowered my legs, so they were sticking straight out in front of me and looked up to the doors. I folded my hands in my lap and ran my tongue over my lips, suddenly feeling parched. What if she did survive?

"I'm sorry." I said it quietly and for a second, I didn't think he heard me. But he raised my arm again, dove in underneath and put his head on my chest wrapping his arms around my stomach and back sighing out hard. I gently put my arm around his back and raised my other one locking my fingers together, to keep him very close to me. I set my chin on the top of his messy hair and looked up at the door.

We sat like that for several minutes. I lost track of time. But I knew, at least I hoped, the longer it was taking them, maybe was for the best. I wanted to ask Logan if he could find out what was going on, just as a large body stood in front of us blocking my view from the door completely. I looked up and gave a half, corner of the mouth smile, seeing James. "James." Logan pushed away from me fast and jumped up. He lunged into James who wrapped around his back quick and lifted him off the ground. I smirked looking away from them and raised one leg, resting my elbow on it. I put my palm on my forehead and yawned quietly. "How are the kids?"

"Fine. Robbie came by. Him and Max are teaching Sammy how to throw a punch. Emily said her, and Jessie are giving each other manicures and pedicures. None of them think anything is seriously wrong." I closed my eyes wanting to reach in my jeans and call my son but didn't move. "You want to sit in a real chair dude?" The bottom of my left foot was kicked gently making me look up to my best friends. Before I could answer him, Logan sat back down quick, and looked up at James. He took my free hand in his and smiled small.

"I don't think you could convince him to move even if you tried." James laughed and quickly unzipped his jacket, and walked to my other side, gently pushing a chair to the side and slid down on the floor next to me. "Dr. Smith is in there with her. With a handful of nurses and another surgeon…I think it said Lewis?"

"Both great doctors. Lewis was a medic in the Marines, so he knows a thing or two." I looked back up to the door and shook my head softly, letting Logan's hand go.

"What will they do?"

"Well…where was she stabbed?"

"Center of her chest. Above her breasts. Almost right in the middle of her chest actually." I glanced to James who nodded looking at the door before turning to me. "She was bleeding heavily. And went into shock." James smiled small at Logan and nodded, looking back at me.

"Well…he's gonna clean around it. Make sure the area is clean, so she doesn't get it infected." I nodded and pulled my other leg up to my chest, letting Logan lay his head on my arm, yawning quietly. "Logan told me the knife was pretty big. And long. Which means he'll have to either suture some veins, and might even need to replace some tubes. Once that is done, depending on how big the wound he'll stich her up and give her serious amounts of pain medicine."

"You do know your stuff don't you doctor?" We all turned, and I stood up fast seeing a doctor in front of us, scrubs on, with a mask over his face and something covering his head. "I have some great news for you Mr. Knight." I felt a hard breath leave my body and he took off both gloves on his hands. "As James explained, I had to close up two veins that were cut ever so slightly. The knife went deep but didn't do a whole lot of damage. I think the biggest concern we have right now is an infection. The pool water was probably not very clean, but we sterilized the area very well." I nodded slowly as he gently patted my shoulder and gave me a small smile. "She's strong. She lost some blood, and her heartrate is very low, so were have her attached to an oxygen tank to help her breathing. But she is going to be fine."

"Thank you. So much…you have no idea how grateful I am."

"Mr. Knight…like I said. Your wife is very strong. She did a lot of the work. I just stitched her chest up." I smiled and nodded again. "Give us about an hour to get her up in a room and when she is all set, we will have a nurse come get you." I quickly put my hand out to him and let him shake it before he turned and walked back into the operating room. Before I could say or do anything I was shoved into hard by Logan who sobbed out quietly on my chest. I set a hand on his head and my other on his back looking at James who was smiling small.

"You got one tough chick dude." I chuckled rubbing Logan's back as he reached out and smacked James who laughed moving away quick.

"I told you she was going to be fine, you big, giant idiot." I laughed wrapping around him tight and breathed out hard.

"Thanks for being there for me Logan. And I am so sorry for what happened to you. That I wasn't able to stop it." He shook his head on my chest and I watched with a heavy heart as my wife was wheeled out of the operating room, a blanket pulled up over her body, a mask over her nose and mouth and an IV attached to her right arm. She was sound asleep, and her eyes didn't look as swollen as when I first saw them. And when she was pushed into an elevator, the nurses and doctors getting in with her, I let Logan go and reached for my phone in my jeans. "So…who do I call first?" Logan glanced up to me, wiping his face and frowned. "Carlos or Max?"


	22. Chapter 22: Going To Be A While

**Juliet's P.O.V.**

It was weird. To see a young, beautiful nurse walk around in front of me as I lay in my own bed. Why was she here? In my house? Why the hell did my chest hurt, and why the hell was I having a hard time breathing? I was annoyed. What was Kendall doing that was so important he couldn't come see me, and tell this woman to leave us alone so we could snuggle? I turned my head ever so slightly to the left to see what time it was from the clock on my nightstand. However, something caught my attention quick. I wasn't in my bed. There was a large monitor by my bed with a bright green line bouncing up and down, very slowly. And there was a soft beeping coming from it. And behind me, as I turned my head to look at the nurse in front of me, I could hear the soft sound of something releasing air every so often. There was a sharp burn in my chest that forced my right hand up to touch it, but once I did, I froze. I glanced down to my chest and saw, underneath a plain white, gown I guess, was a thick, padded, taped up bandage. Covering my skin right in the center of my chest. What the hell happened to me?

I closed my eyes for second just to open them back up quickly. I blinked a few times, and let my eyes adjust to the brightness around me. I turned my head slightly to the right and saw a huge window showing a very bright, and blue day outside. Which meant me closing my eyes for just a second, wasn't a second after all. It was dark when I did that. Now is was bright. I slept for well over a couple hours. I groaned quietly and turned my head back to the front seeing a very empty, but clean hospital room. So, I was in the hospital. But I wasn't sure why. I opened my mouth feeling some strength come back into body and spoke quietly. Nothing was heard. I frowned realizing something was covering my mouth and reached up slowly. I closed my eyes feeling a mask over my nose and mouth and gently pulled it down off my face, taking in a deep breath. I opened my eyes feeling my chest burn but ignored it, for now. I lowered my hand and looked around my bed seeing a monitor and a small table beside me, with a plastic pitcher and empty cup on it. I sighed out hard and put both my palms down on the bed, pushing softly. I groaned as my body moved just a little and huffed out laying back down. I took in a few deep breaths and tried again, pushing myself up in my bed, ignoring the horrible pain in my chest. I pushed myself up high enough in my bed so that I could pour myself a glass of water and drink it. I laid back first though gently rubbing the thick bandage sticking up on my chest and closed my eyes taking in a deep easy breath. Once I opened my eyes, I reached for the pitcher and grabbed the cup putting them both on my lap. I raised with a shaky hand, pouring the water in my cup, only to about half way. I set the pitcher back down on the table and raised the foam cup closing my eyes, letting the cool, refreshing liquid enter my mouth. I emptied the cup completely and carefully set it back down on the table opening my eyes back up. I sighed out, reaching up and wiped the corner of my mouth looking around my room for signs of someone…anyone. But no one was with me. I frowned laying my head back and tried so hard to remember why I was in the hospital with a bandage on my chest. The last thing I remember, fuzzy at best was a fire. Was I in a fire? I raised my arms seeing no signs of burns and frowned again. From outside my room I heard a loud, quick clap. It made me jump and close my eyes tight seeing flashes of a man standing over me, slapping me hard in my face. I clenched the blanket on my body and gasped watching a memory play out in my head. I was lying flat on my back with a man not just over me but forcing himself inside me. And he was slapping me. I opened my eyes quick and glanced around my room feeling panicked. Where was Kendall? What happened to me? I started to push the blankets off my body and felt the needle in my arm pinch a little as I tugged on it, to get out of my bed. But I was afraid. Someone attacked me. Someone hurt me, and Kendall was no where to be seen. I had to find him. Just as a loud sob left my mouth and I got both legs off to one side of my bed, a nurse came running into my room. "Mrs. Knight. Please lay back down." She rushed to me and started to push my body down, but I fought her, crying out. I was yelling out Kendall's name to see not him, but two doctors run into my room. One of them I recognized easily. James. Seeing him seemed to make me scream out louder and as soon as he grabbed me, I clutched onto him and let him gently lay me back on the bed. I however kept holding around him, not letting go, feeling my chest burn, and my throat hurt. My tears didn't stop.

It took quite a bit for me to calm my crying down, but once I did, James was sitting on my bed beside me, holding one of my hands in his while he brushed hair out of my face. I sniffled looking up at his face and shook my head, finally speaking. "What happened to me?" He looked down at my hand quick and shook his head breathing in hard.

"You were taken. By Shawn and Austin. You and Logan both were." He looked back up to me and I nodded slowly. "Kendall and Carlos found you guys, but…Shawn stabbed you in your chest." I looked down at my chest and gently rubbed around the bandage. "We also had a few tests run on you based off what Austin told the police." I looked up slowly and felt my breathing picking up speed again. "They…" He stopped and looked away swallowing hard, making his Adam's apple bounce up and down.

"Did they rape me?" He moved in quick and picked me up, hugging me tight. I squeezed my eyes shut hard and clutched onto the doctor's coat on his back knowing exactly what the answer was.

"I'm so sorry Juliet. I am so sorry." I sobbed into his neck and turned my head down just a little, so my cries weren't as loud. "You're healthy though. You don't have any disease and your chest is going to heal very nice. I know that is nothing compared to knowing what they did to you but…" He paused, and I shook letting more tears fall out. "You have been in and out of sleep for the past week and a half we were worried you weren't going to wake up." I opened my eyes gently pushing away and frowned.

"I've been in here for that long?" He nodded pushing hair off my face and kissed my forehead. "Where is Kendall?" A thought dawned on me and I sat back feeling more tears threatening to come out. "Is he okay? Is Max?"

"Shh…yes Juliet. They are both fine. They have been here the whole time. They just went to get some food and clean clothes." I nodded trying to control my breathing and sort of laid myself back down. I reached out grabbing one of his hands and put it in both mine sighing out hard.

"Is Logan alright?" He chuckled nodding and looked out into my room.

"He's having a hard time right now with not being able to stop them from hurting you. He blames himself." I shook my head pulling his arm closer to me, making him scoot closer to me on my bed. "He's been here every day too, but his pain killers kick his ass and goes home at night. And Sammy made you a gift." I raised my eyebrows smiling small as he reached over to the table next to my bed. He picked up a homemade macaroni necklace with different colored noodles and I laughed out, taking it from him. "He is convinced you can design a whole outfit around this beautiful piece." I laughed louder and sat up urging him to put it around my neck. He laughed and gently put it on me. I laid back and put the necklace in between my fingers looking out my room at the hospital going through it's normal day. "I'm so sorry Juliet. For everything that happened to you. I wish I could say something other than sorry."

"It's okay James. If it helps…I don't really remember a lot of it." He nodded pushing hair off my face again, keeping his hand on the side of my head. "Does Kendall know about…" He nodded quick and I sighed shaking my head. "Does Max?"

"No. Kendall made it very clear to everyone that Max only knew about what he could see." I felt a weight lift off me knowing my son didn't know his mother was raped. "In an effort to lighten this up a bit…our kids are talking to each other again." I raised an eyebrow and he smirked shaking his head. "They aren't dating. Max is still too hurt, but Emily has always been able to charm him. He's been driving her to school and picking her up. She even offered to hook him up with one of her friends." I laughed out loud and he did too bending down slightly. He kissed my forehead and I felt a lot better than I had been. Just as he raised up I heard the very distinct laugh of my child and perked up, pushing myself up. I glanced around James's large body and couldn't help the tears squeezing out of my eyes seeing my only child walking in my room, holding a water bottle and his backpack in both hands. He was looking up at his dad as they both walked in, smiling to each other. "Look who is awake." They both stopped walking and I sat myself up very straight forcing a smile. From around Kendall's shoulders, I saw Logan's face appear and let more tears come out, along with a sob. I covered my mouth quick and put my head down.

"Mom…" I was grabbed gently and pulled into Max as James got off the bed beside me. I reached out carefully to not tug at the IV in my arm and held around him putting my crying eyes into his shoulder. "How do you feel?" I only nodded against him not being able to get the look of Logan out of my head. His lip was cut bad on the bottom corner, and he had a faint cut on the top of one of his cheeks. Both his eyes had very faint bruising around them. He really got a beating. The thought made me sob out again and clutch harder onto Max making him pull me deeper into him. "Dad?" Max sounded very worried and again, it made me feel worse. I let out another sob, just as a hand touched my back and rubbed gently.

"Baby…" Hearing Kendall's sort of raspy voice behind me, sent a chill up and down my spine. I let my son go, keeping my head down and turned very quickly so I could throw myself at Kendall. Once my arms were around him, and he was sitting on the bed beside me I let out a gut-wrenching cry. I think the main reason I was so emotional was because I was hurt. Bad. But Logan was also hurt, and I felt like it was my fault. A voice kept coming into my head, a voice that wasn't mine, and it was saying I was disgusting and worthless. I should have died, and Logan should have been unhurt. That voice was screaming at me. And all I could think to do is hold my husband and sob on him. Which I did.

Just like when I had my panic attack after I woke up and James sat with me, Kendall did too. He waited, not saying a word, gently rubbing my arm and running his hand through my hair, softly. We eventually had laid back, him letting me literally put half my body on his. I purposely turned my body away from the other three in the room, and kept my eyes closed just so I didn't have to see my son. I was embarrassed. For my wounds, and for the fact that I was an emotional wreck. No child should ever have to see their parent like this. But once I had my heart, and my head calmed down, I opened my eyes and wiped my face off on my head sighing out, looking out at the bright beautiful day outside the hospital. There was a soft, sweet little kiss to the top of my head that made me feel just a little better. I put my arm that had my IV in it gently on Kendall's chest and glanced up to his face. He was smiling down at me and rubbed under my right eye shaking his head softly. "Your eyes look a lot better." I frowned gently pushing myself off him and still, kept my head down, not looking at the three bodies around me.

"Compared to what?" He laughed and sat up a little kissing my forehead. "Uhm…"

"It's just about lunch time pretty lady. Here is your menu. 5-star stuff." I laughed ticking hair behind my ear and glanced up cautiously. Max was sitting on the end of my bed looking down at his phone. Sitting in a chair next to me, was James, with Logan sitting on his lap. James was gently putting a piece of paper on my bed and I grabbed it slowly. "I really should be getting back to work."

"No…" I glanced up to see Logan turning to James, putting a hand on his face shaking his head. "Stay. Juliet is finally awake. Sit with us."

"Thanks for earlier James. I appreciate it." I saw Max look up quick and Logan turned to me quick. I smirked and looked back down to the paper in my hands. "I had sort of a panic attack I guess you could call it, and James calmed me down. Gave me my beautiful necklace."

"I helped Sammy make it." I looked up quick to my son and smiled small seeing him giving me a sad look. "I'm really happy to hear your voice mom." I extended both my arms and motioned him to me. Max gto off my bed and walked up to me and sat down fast. I pulled him into me quick and hugged him tight sighing out softly. "When I hugged you before, I thought I hurt you."

"No baby…just emotional. I didn't mean to scare you." He only shrugged under me and I kissed his ear swallowing hard. "You want to get some lunch with me?" He pushed away gently and nodded smiling. "You know just as much as I do…hospital food sucks." He laughed turning to Logan and James who were both just smiling wide at us, holding each other. "How does a big fat greasy burger sound?"

"Really good. I can go get one for you."

"Why don't I go? So, you can be with your mom." I saw Logan starting to stand, with James help and smiled up at him. "What else can I get you?" Logan walked to us and I let him kiss my forehead, just as I saw the wall of my room with my TV on it and saw a paper pumpkin hanging by it. I frowned and glanced over to Kendall who still had one hand on my back looking at me.

"Is it almost Halloween?" He nodded rubbing my back and I huffed out turning back to Logan, while also looking at James. "Am I gonna be in here for a while?"

"Yeah…your chest needs to be monitored very carefully. Why?" I sighed sitting back into Kendall who held me gently, but firmly.

"Because a few of my bet friends asked me to make a little dinosaur costume for their little boy and I need to finish it." James stood up fast and both him and Logan shook their head. "Guys…I'll go crazy in here without anything to do. That will give me something to do. I just need the fabric, and one of my sewing kits, and it will be ready in time for Halloween. Besides…sewing is therapeutic for me." Logan sighed glancing over to James who simply leaned down, kissed my cheek and stood back up.

"You don't have to, but if it's what you want to do to feel better, okay." I smirked up at him and turned to Max who was getting off my bed.

"I'll go with uncle Logan to get it. I forgot my laptop and I need to write a history paper. If that's alright that I do go mom." I frowned nodding and set my hand on Kendall's leg beside me.

"Of course, baby. I'll be right here." He nodded bending down quick and kissed my cheek before turning and walking to the door.

"We'll be back." Logan let James kiss his cheek and he waved at me before turning and walked to Max, gently shoving him. Once they were gone, James sighed out and went to the end of my bed, grabbing a clipboard flipping through some papers. I turned, to look at Kendall, who was of course looking at me and I forced a smile. He looked pained. Like he knew all the things that happened to me and was beating himself up over it. That thought, that Kendall had to see me like this, somehow was worse than knowing I was stabbed in the chest.


	23. Chapter 23: By Her Side

**Kendall's P.O.V.**

I was staring blankly up at the huge flat screen hanging on the wall, not even paying attention to the picture. All I could do to keep my eyes open was focus on one thing, and that one thing happened to be the red light up in the center of the outlining of the screen. The light was on because the TV was on. And it was doing wonders for me to stay awake, even though I wanted to sleep so bad. My back was sore, my right shoulder was hurting again, and I had eaten so much food in the past two hours I wanted a nap. Much like a baby. But I couldn't. I couldn't fall asleep, or close my eyes, or get up from my spot on the couch because I would be leaving Juliet. I didn't want to miss anything. I didn't want to take the chance on something happening to her again. She was finally home, and I was able to breath easy, but I still had that gut wrenching feeling in my stomach every time I saw her. Every time she cursed to herself because her chest hurt, or every time she woke herself up by screams and cries because of the nightmare she was having…all I thought was it was my fault. How could I fix this, if I couldn't even stop it in the first place?

I snapped out of my trance looking at the red light feeling her shift next to me and looked down quick. Her feet were on my lap, under a blanket, while her body was curled up into a ball next to me on the couch, sound asleep. She took in a deep breath as she pushed herself deeper into the couch and dug her feet into my thigh. I carefully reached out my hand and set it on her hip rubbing gently. I reached forward to the coffee table, and grabbed my phone seeing a missed call from Logan. I frowned unlocking my phone and sent a text to Logan, asking if everything was alright. I set my phone back on the coffee table seeing it was almost 3 which meant Max would be home from school and I could maybe take a shower while he sat with his mom. I put my head back and yawned quietly putting my other hand on Juliet's feet on my lap. Just as I closed my eyes I heard my phone vibrating and reached for it quick. It was Logan, calling me again and as much as I didn't want to talk, because I didn't want Juliet to wake up, if I didn't answer he would worry. I would too. "Hello?"

"Hey…I don't mean to bother you…I just wanted to see how Juliet was doing." I frowned slouching down in my seat a little making her shift again, and when I stopped moving, I had one hand on her thigh and squeezed gently.

"She's sound asleep right now. We had lunch a couple hours again and it was the first time she didn't throw up after eating." I heard a door shut on Logan's end, followed by the start of an engine.

"Good. I know those antibiotics have been making her sick. But it's good to know she is getting some sleep." I nodded looking back up to the home renovation show Juliet had put on before she fell asleep and yawned again. "Listen…I know with everything that's happened…If you guys have plans tonight, or if you don't feel like doing anything, at all, we get it…but the kids are inviting some friends over for a party and Emily wants Max to come. We'd love for you and Juliet to come too." Before I could answer him, the front door opened, and three laughing teenagers came in. I sat up fast just as Juliet did and sighed up at my son who gave his mother an apologetic look who was gasping quietly. I looked to Robbie and Emily, both giving us sad looks and swallowed hard.

"Let me talk to Juliet Loges. I'll let you know."

"Okay. No pressure Kendall." I nodded and hung up without saying goodbye and turned to Juliet who was groaning quietly as she sat on her butt and leaned into me yawning loudly.

"I didn't mean to wake you up mom." Max put his backpack on the floor by the coffee table and then set his phone and car keys on the table walking to the spot next to him mom. I wrapped around Juliet and smiled at Robbie and Emily as they walked over to the love seat, Emily still walking on her crutches.

"It's okay. I probably shouldn't sleep all day. I won't be able to sleep tonight." I remained still and quiet, knowing the reason she wouldn't be able to sleep tonight is because her nightmares would keep her up. "What did Logan want?" She rubbed her warm hand over my chest and I glanced over to Emily who was getting help sitting down by Robbie, who I noticed, holding her tight. As they sat down I saw Emily put her hand on Robbie's thigh as he whispered something into her ear. "Babe?" I looked down to Juliet quick and smiled.

"I guess they are having a Halloween party tonight. Wanted to know if we wanted to come." She smiled big and looked over to Emily who was looking at us, smiling too.

"Costume party?" She laughed nodding and sat back, sort of leaning back into Robbie who was busy on his phone.

"Yeah…Jessie wanted to invite her friends over and then Sammy wanted to invite his so…I decided it only made sense that I save it and invite my friends." Juliet laughed under me and I rubbed her arm, looking back up to the TV. "I think my parents are inviting some friends from work and a few neighbors. It should be really fun."

"Your dad's always throw great parties. Too many times I've had to be carried out because I was shit faced." There was a laugh from my son that made me turn to him and chuckle too, while Juliet softly kissed the skin on my neck. "I'm not dressing up."

"Yes, you are." I ever so slightly squeezed onto her side making her squeak out and push at me, as she started to stand. I went to get up as well, but Max got up faster than me and helped his mom get to her feet. She yawned loudly raising her arms over her head as she stretched and walked around the coffee table looking at Max and then Robbie. "I have a box in the attic above the garage…can you guys help me get it?"

"Sure mom. What's in it?"

"Old Halloween costumes. I just want to see what I have so I don't waste money on something I don't need." Max nodded as Robbie got up and walked towards the two. I reached out touching Juliet's leg softly as she started to walk by and it made her stop. I looked up at her as she slowly bent down over me and kissed my lips softly. I kept my hand on her leg and kissed up at her mouth as she started to pull away. I heard the garage door open and watched as she pushed away and slowly made her way to our garage. I swallowed hard, and licked my lips watching her sway into the hallway, disappearing fast. I sighed out pushing myself up on the couch and glanced over to see Emily sitting on the loveseat still, her unhurt leg pulled up to her chest as she quickly wrote in a binder, open on her leg. I grabbed my glass of iced tea and took a sip just watching her. Usually, when Emily was here, her and Max were attached at the hips. Rather the lips. And it mad me uncomfortable. But now…because they weren't together, but still friends, it seemed even more uncomfortable. I didn't like it. She was the closest thing to me like a daughter and with everything that happened, like with Austin, I felt like our already strained relationship, was even more strained. I set my glass back on the table and picked up my phone, quickly sending a text to Logan, to let him know we would be over tonight. I even went a step further and offered to help set up or whatever and set my phone back on the table. When I looked up at the TV I saw Emily was looking at me and turned to her slowly. She looked down quick and went back to writing, sighing out softly.

"You alright?" I was quiet, but she heard me and looked up smiling small. She nodded a faint blush on her cheeks and I chuckled. I looked back to the TV and cleared my throat. "How is your foot doing?"

"Fine…there isn't much pain anymore. Just itchy." I nodded sitting back slowly and watched her put her leg down and bend forward a little. "Max told me Aunt Juliet has been having bad nightmares." I turned to her quick and she shook her head. "He only told me because it scares him. I don't know what to say or do to help. And I want to help."

"Just being his friend helps. Getting his mind off it, helps." She nodded and sat back a little looking down at her open binder. "Have your dads ever told you about how they met?" She looked up tucking hair behind her ear and shook her head. I laughed quietly looking out the huge window behind her and shiver ever so slightly at the overcast sky. "You dad and I were in the army…we were on leave for two weeks and because I've always been a good wing man, your dad wanted to go to a gay bar. I went and let me tell you…I got a lot more attention in my life in that one night, than I ever have before." She giggled putting her binder to the side and leaned forward even more. "Your dad saw him from across the bar holding onto a Heineken and looking scared out of his mind. Logan was only 20 at the time so he was in a bar, underage, drinking. He was on edge, and paranoid he was going to get in trouble." She nodded, and I sat up looking down at the ground where my bare feet were and had to smile at the memory. "Some horrible pop song was playing overhead. Your dad walked over to him and asked him to dance. Logan…your dad is a horrible dancer and I think you know that." She laughed again, and I looked up to see her smiling small. "They started to dance. But Logan came to that bar with someone else and when the guy found your dad's dancing he lost it. I saw him going towards James and I freaked out. I shoved him out of the bar and almost got killed, but it was worth it. I didn't know it until their wedding, but I guess that night…the first time he saw him, James was in love. And if I hadn't been there…they may have not even met." Her smile was gone. I swallowed hard and shrugged. "Your dad has always been a force to be reckoned with. The things he has done for me…the things I've one for him…it all comes back to the fact that we are best friends and there isn't a damn thing in this world I wouldn't do for him. That's what friendship is. That's what family is." I paused and heard something behind me, probably Juliet and Max and Robbie but continued. "Life isn't easy. But it's worth it. It will always be worth it if it benefits your family and friends." She nodded sitting back just as a hand touched my shoulder and squeezed gently. I glanced a little over my shoulder and watched Juliet sit on the edge of the couch, looking down at me. "Find what you need?" She grinned big and rubbed her hand up to the back of my neck where she held gently.

"I found our costumes." I groaned out loudly and sat back into the couch letting her wrap her arm around my neck and slowly fall into my open lap. "Don't worry. We'll be adorable." She whispered it into my ear and I rolled my eyes watching my son and his best friend put two boxes on the floor in the middle of the living room giving me stupid grins.

Because my wife was hurt and not in a good place, mentally, I agreed to wear a costume, and not complain too much about it. I let her pack it for me, as we all got ready to go over to James and Logan's house. Logan said he needed help decorating, since James wouldn't be off work until 5:30, and I volunteered myself, and Max and Robbie. By the time all five of us got into my truck, it was raining. I remained quiet as I drove us the short distance to the house and the kids laughed and talked about their day at school. Juliet was also quite next to me and every now and then I would see her rub her chest, softly. It worried me, because she's so stubborn, that she wouldn't tell any of us, including her doctor best friend, if she was in a lot of pain. I was still worried about the chance of infection, even after the doctors gave her the clear to go home. So far there has been nothing to show an infection, but it didn't mean that on the inside, something couldn't happen still. And as I parked on the street in front of Logan and James's house I watched her slid out of the truck, groaning quietly. I bit my tongue, knowing if I asked her if she really wanted to be at a party right now, she'd yell at me, and got out quickly too.

While I made Max take the bag Juliet packed, and watched them and Robbie and Emily walk through the front door of the house, I went to the open garage rolling my eyes at the decorations Logan already had up. I saw him leaning against his car, a bag of fake spiderwebs under one arm while he furiously typed on his phone. "Can you say overboard?" He chuckled looking up from his phone and I stopped in front of him, leaning against the work bench covered in Halloween decorations.

"Sammy is really into Halloween this year. He is finally not afraid of the dark, and thinks all ghosts are Casper, so Halloween is just Candy and funny masks day." I nodded putting my hands into the pockets of grey zip up hoodie looking above and over him at the other side of the garage. They had two kayaks hanging on the wall, along with two bikes, and shelves jammed packed full of outdoor toys and games. "How is Juliet doing?" I looked down to his face and shrugged turning away from his eyes to look at the extra fridge by the door leading to their house. "How are you doing?" I laughed looking down and swallowed hard.

"I haven't had a full night's sleep in about three weeks. If it isn't the pain waking her up every hour, it's the nightmares. And between trying to get her breathing under control and trying to convince her no one is going to come after again…she throws up after every meal and hasn't said one word to me about how fucking traumatized she is and how much she hates me for letting this happen to her. I…"

"Wait." I looked back to Logan who had a hand raised and was giving me a confused look. "Do you honestly think Juliet blames you for what happened?" I nodded a few times and he shook his head pushing off his car and walking right next to me, opening the spiderweb bag. He started to take the fabric out and stretch it out while still shaking his head. "Juliet was hurt. Mentally, physically and spiritually. Those sick bastards broke her down to the point of no return. Until you came out and saved her. You literally saved her life Kendall. Just like always, you are her knight in shinning armor. I…it makes me sick to think of what would have happened to her if you hadn't shown up." He said the last part quietly making me feel even worse and look back to the front of me swallowing a hard lump in my throat. "Juliet is going to deal with the physical pain like a champion. Not many people could be walking around and living life after being stabbed three weeks ago. But she is. However," I saw in the corner of my eye Logan turning to me, putting the spiderweb down, and putting his arm around my back. He put his cheek on my shoulder and with his other arm he tangled it with mine, sighing out softly. "The mental aspect of her recovery is up to her. You can't force her to talk, and you can't force her to move on. She must be the one to do it. But all that means is you must be ready when she is to talk, and she is ready to move on. Just the thought that you are there every night, and that you are there to wipe away those tears and fight away her fears is all that she needs right now." I nodded sort of leaning down into him and he squeezed around me softly. "I think it's a great first step in the healing direction, that she wanted to come tonight."

"She's making us wear a couple costume. I think that's all she is excited about." Logan laughed pulling away from me and going back to his work on the workbench.

"Well whatever you guys are dressed as is going to be better than James and I." I lifted an eyebrow looking down at him and he gave me a dirty look. "James is making us go as doctors." I laughed out loud making him shake his head and raise a finger. "Zombie doctors." I laughed louder pushing off his workbench and pulled my hood up on my head walking out into the rain, him following close, holding the spiderweb. "You two are fucking assholes."

I helped Logan for a good 2 hours, making sure the house, inside and out, was decorated to how he wanted it. Max and Robbie helped a little and Juliet stayed inside carving pumpkins with Sammy, Jessie and Emily. By the time we were done decorating, and I was sitting next to Juliet, James came home. All three of his kids ran out into the living room hearing his booming voice while I stayed seated, drinking from my beer bottle, watching Juliet carve into her pumpkin, sticking her tongue out slightly. I couldn't help but smile at her and feeling nothing, but love seep out of every pore on my body. I started to lean into her, to give her a little kiss to her cheek but just as I got close enough, she turned her head and kissed my lips hard and quick. I closed my eyes and pushed hard into her as one of her hands held onto my face as she pecked at my lips. "You wanna go get changed?" She said it softly into my mouth before pulling away and forcing my eyes open. I narrowed my eyes at her and she giggled looking back down to her pumpkin. "I'll give you a hint as to what we are." I nodded looking over her head at Max walking in, dressed up as a cowboy, with Robbie following close, also dressed as a cowboy. Following in after them were Logan, James and their three kids with, to my surprise Carlos and his wife and daughter, and just as Juliet turned back to me, putting both hands on my face, I felt even more love explode from me. I had my family with me. Everyone was smiling, and everyone was mostly healthy. I was probably the luckiest man alive and as I looked back to my wife putting one hand on her neck, gently cupping it, I realized two things. One…the things in my life I don't have control over, should not ever stop me from living my life to the fullest, ever again. And two…I was going to start acting like life shouldn't be taken advantage of. Juliet opened her mouth to tell me what we were going to be dressed as but I could only chuckle and move into her, kissing her softly, but with enough passion to let everyone around us know that I was madly in love with her. And I couldn't wait to live the rest of my life with her, right by her side.

 **HI! I think I'm going to end this story here! It's run it's coarse and I fear if I keep going I'll make more horrible things happen to this family, so I'll leave it put. I do however have an idea to a series of one shots, with all the guys, around all the major holidays. Anyone interested in reading something like that? Let me know!**


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